Tasting Notes
JancisRobinson.com 17.5
RS 4 g/l. Had an extra year in barrel before bottling. Exuberant nose – perfumed, butterscotch and praline with toasted almond. Much riper on the palate than the 1995 with red apple and the butterscotch note is here as well – even at only 4 g/l (the most ever for Clos St-Hilaire) you can really tell the sugar is there in comparison with other vintages. Rich and expressive. (AC)
Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035
Vinous 95
One of the most pleasant surprises of the night, the 1996 Le Clos Saint Hilaire, is striking. Crushed flowers, mint, autumn leaves and sweet berries all lift from the glass. Sweet, pliant and generous, the 1996 shows exceptional balance and purity. I don’t see the 1996 as a super long-term ager, but it is fabulous today.
Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020
Robert Parker 96
Billecart-Salmon’s 1996 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire has lost some of its youthful exuberance and the fruit now is a touch softer than it was a few years ago. The aromatics and overall balance remain seductive and utterly compelling. To gain perspective, I tasted this next to Bollinger’s Vielles Vignes Francaises and Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay. The Clos Saint-Hilaire is the most delicate, ethereal of the three, while the VVF is the darkest and most brooding, purely vinous of the wines. The Clos d’Ambonnay stands out for its laser-like minerality and intensity. It is likely to be the longest-lived of these three Blanc de Noirs.
