Domaine de la Tour du Bon

Saint Ferréol Bandol Mourvedre 2020

9.3

2020 vintage. This is the winery’s “reserve.” Discounted from $52 a btl down to $39 a btl. Great Mouvèdre nose. Medium/medium heavy body. Both plushy and earth-toned. Great Bandol effort. 3.11.26. — a month ago

Zach, Andrew and 14 others liked this

Jean-Claude Bachelet

Derrière la Tour Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2021

Robert Ahlstrom

9.2

Deep ruby medium opacity, wonderfully balanced minerality, bright red fruits, lovely burgundy! — 7 months ago

Albane & Bertrand Minchin

Pommerais La Tour Saint Martin Menetou-Salon Cabernet Franc 2020

Rufus King

8.9

Lovely Burgundy (Cabernet Franc) with mild tannin (Urban Grape) — a year ago

Château Tour de Peyreau

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

Ashraf Attal

9.1

Giza balcony with S — 18 days ago

Château Tour Bel-Air

Montagne-Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2020

Steve Ambrusko

9.0

Delicious berry with faintest hint of sweetness, but still gently robust. — 3 months ago

Billecart-Salmon

Le Clos Saint-Hilaire Brut Blanc de Noirs 2005

Vanessa

9.5

Prior notes continue to apply…

When we visited Billecart-Salmon in October of 2021, we received a tour of the stunning estate. Along the way, our guide, Jerome, paused near a traditional “Clos” (a single vineyard, enclosed by a wall) on the property.

We could see a beautiful stone wall, surrounding a tiny 1 hectare parcel of “Clos Saint-Hilaire,” named after the Patron Saint & local church in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, where Billecart-Salmon is located.

Although we didn’t go into the Clos, we learned about how special this parcel is to the family; how it’s exclusively planted to Pinot Noir with vines dating back to 1964; how work in the vineyard is performed by hand and horse-drawn plows; how this parcel is farmed according to an age-old savoir-faire, adhering to principles of sustainable viticulture.

The wine is pale gold with a prominent bouquet of yellow apple, Anjou pear, raspberry, lemon curd, white peach, white blossom, desiccated white rose, wet stones, biscuit, brioche, almond paste, marzipan, crusty croissant, pie crust, toast, creamy texture and persistent, fine-beaded mousse and long elegant finish.

This is a 2005 “Blanc de Noirs” Champagne, comprised of 100% Pinot Noir, all coming from Le Clos Saint Hilaire, vinified entirely in oak casks to lend texture and body, and aged over 13 years sur lie prior to its recent release. Due to the vineyard’s small size, production is very limited, and wine only produced in the best vintages.

Cheers to beautiful wines expressing a singularity of time and place!

Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire (2005). — 8 months ago