Beautifully complex and mineral with notes of chalk, blanched almonds, dried raspberries, rose petals, pink grapefruit, nutmeg and pink peppercorns. Complex, tight and structured, with a medium to full body, plenty of strength yet elegant. Tight bubbles. Long, firm and savory. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo.

The 2007 Extra Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is shockingly accessible for a young vintage of this wine. Silky and plush, with terrific depth, the 2007 is already quite accessible. Kirsch, plum, dried flowers, chamomile and dried herbs build, filling out the layers effortlessly. I can't remember tasting a Clos Saint-Hilaire that is this wine-like. White flowers, chalk, mint and white pepper open with air, adding palpable freshness to a core of chiseled Pinot fruit. In a word: dazzling.

2007 presents a rather different version of Le Clos St-Hilaire from the previous two releases (2006 and 2005). The hallmarks of the wine are very much there, with plenty of signs of maturity in the apricot kernel, chestnut honey and dark, tangy roasted apple fruit, with a welcome jolt of pink grapefruit-like acidity squeezing hard with some of the firmness and tension of the vintage. Despite this physical brightness, it is already in a nicely aligned spot to drink, with its autumnal ageing profile a little more present (at least in the bottle tasted) than was the case on release of the 2006 or 2005. Made with Pinot Noir from the family's historic walled garden in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, 100% vinified in oak and aged on lees for 14 years.