Billecart-Salmon : Coffret Magnums Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 2008 et Le Sous Bois

Two great Billecart-Salmon cuvées united in magnum in an elegant gift box

The estate

Since its founding in 1818 by the married couple Elisabeth Salmon and Nicolas-François Billecart, the Champagne Billecart-Salmon House has remained independent, preserving for 7 generations all of its expertise and its uncompromising commitment to the quality of its cuvées.

The vineyard

The Billecart-Salmon vineyard stretches from the Côte des Blancs to the Montagne de Reims over nearly 100 hectares. The vines are cultivated and tended traditionally in order to achieve authentic fruit and reflect the quality of the Champagne terroir.

The gift box

The Magnums Gift Box Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 2008 and Le Sous Bois brings together two essential cuvées from the House of Billecart-Salmon.

Born from the most prestigious Premiers and Grands Crus of Champagne, the Brut sous Bois is an exceptional cuvée vinified entirely in oak barrels, combining ancestral tradition with masterful blending. Its composition – Chardonnay (43%), Pinot Noir (28%) and Pinot Meunier (29%) – is enriched with reserve wines dating back to 2006, followed by 5 years of ageing on the lees. In the glass, the crystalline golden colour and delicate bubbles of this Brut Champagne herald an elegant nose of pastry, citrus, malt and bergamot, reflecting its woody complexity. The palate, both creamy and lively, unveils mouth-watering notes of toasted milk bread, melted butter and soft spices. A great Champagne for laying down, to be served at 10°C, able to age gracefully for 10 to 12 years in the cellar.

A true jewel of the House, the Clos Saint-Hilaire 2008 is an exceptional Blanc de Noirs from a single one-hectare plot of old Pinot Noir vines, planted in 1964 in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Vinified entirely in oak barrels and aged on the lees for more than 16 years (194 months), this rare single-vineyard cuvée — limited to just 4,000 bottles — embodies the quintessence of rarity and complexity. Its golden colour with intense coppery highlights precedes an aristocratic nose of candied citrus, dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts and subtle hints of cigar box. On the palate, the creamy, dense texture evolves towards remarkable depth — violet, breadcrumb, blond tobacco, liquorice — before a saline finish of infinite length. To be served between 12 and 14°C, ideally alongside Bresse poultry or a lobster tartare with grapefruit, this Champagne for laying down can be cellared for more than 10 years.

Magnum (150 cl)
1 x Clos Saint-Hilaire 2008
2 x Le Sous Bois