Offered NOV 27th, 2017

Henri Billiot Brut Cuvee Julie NV
36 bottles available (OCB (12))
$60 per bottle

94 points Burghound: “This is a very interesting cuvée because it will very quickly answer any questions you may have about whether you enjoy noticeable wood in your Champagne. Sometimes, it can add breadth and depth and sometimes it can take away part of what makes Champagne Champagne, which is the racy and firm acid spine. In this particular case, the time in wood has very definitely added depth, not only from the slightly oxidative character but it has contributed mightily to the complexity. However, long-time readers know that I believe that there is no free lunch and in that sense, what has been gained in terms of depth has been lost in terms of freshness and precision. Some will like the trade-off and some will prefer tighter and more classically styled examples. I actually quite like this because it’s delicious and it’s relatively rare to obtain this much complexity and flat out superb length in a toasty package. That said, I have to underscore that this is not my preferred style even though I can admire it for what it is. In sum, if you enjoy wood-influenced Champagne, this is terrific. By contrast, if you don’t, it would be best to look elsewhere.”

Henri Billiot Brut Cuvee Laetitia NV
36 bottles available (OCB (12))
$75 per bottle

93 points Burghound: “This is remarkably fresh for it to have such a large proportion of aged stock in it and while the nose is mature, there are absolutely no oxidative elements in it. In fact, I deliberately revisited this 24 hours after first opening it to see how the nose had evolved and I can report that there was very little discernable evolution. As I say, while fully mature, the mildly yeasty nose displays notes of baked apple, roasted nut and a dried rose petal nuance that also characterizes the rich, full and utterly delicious flavors that are also fresh and vibrant with plenty of energy and finishing punch. Often Champagnes with high percentages of reserves in them lack the same effervescence but that is certainly not the case here. This is a lovely effort that could be drunk now with pleasure or held for years to come.”

Henri Billiot Brut Millesime 2009
12 bottles available (OCB (12))
$65 per bottle

92+ points View From the Cellar: “I tasted this wine last summer, but that example was disgorged six months earlier than the current example in the market. The 2009 H. Billiot Fils “Brut Millésimé” is a bit more than seventy-five percent pinot noir, with the remainder of the cépage made up of chardonnay, with this example spending four and a half years aging sur latte prior to disgorgement. The nose wafts from the glass in a fine mix of apple, peach, warm biscuits, complex soil tones, a bit of smokiness and a nice touch of hazelnut in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, crisp and complex, with a beautiful combination of 2009’s ripeness and excellent structural integrity. The wine is rock solid at the core, the mousse is refined, the acids are bright and zesty and there is excellent complexity on the long and well-balanced finish. I was very impressed with this wine a year ago and it is not lost a step in the intervening twelve months! Fine juice.”

Henri Billiot Brut Millesime 2012
36 bottles available (OCB (12))
$60 per bottle

91+ points Vinous: “Billiot’s 2012 Brut Millésimé is a big, powerful wine that captures the natural intensity of Ambonnay. Even so, the 2012 is raw, tightly wound and in need of cellaring despite its considerable appeal and potential. There is no shortage of intensity to the dry, bracing finish. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June 2016.”

Henri Billiot Brut Reserve NV
36 bottles available (OCB (12))
$40 per bottle

92 points Burghound: “A wonderfully elegant, complex and pure nose offers up aromas of lemon rind, green apple, white flowers and a hint of cherry. The palate impression displays the same refinement as the nose with its very fine mousse and delicate flavors that still deliver outstanding punch on the balanced and impressively long finish. A Champagne of subtlety and grace that is drinking perfectly now though it could certainly be held longer if desired.”

Henri Billiot Brut Rose NV
36 bottles available (OCB (12))
$45 per bottle

92 points View From the Cellar: “Like the non-vintage Brut, the Billiot Brut Rosé is comprised of between seventy-five and eighty percent pinot noir, with a bit of still red wine blended in to give its lovely salmon color. As with all of the Billiot bottlings, the vins clairs do not go through malo. The excellent bouquet jumps from the glass in a pure and classy blend of white cherries, tangerine, a touch of cinnamon, wheat toast, gentle smokiness and a complex base of chalky minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and nascently complex, with a fine core, pinpoint bubbles and lovely length and grip on the poised, focused and zesty finish. This is not as expressive on the palate today as it is aromatically, but all of the constituent components are in place for an exquisite bottle of Brut Rosé with a bit more bottle age, so just tuck this lovely bottle away in a cool corner of the cellar for a couple of years and let time work its magic- it will be well worth the wait!”

Henri Billiot Brut Tradition NV
36 bottles available (OCB (12))
$40 per bottle

90 points Vinous: “Light gold, with a lively mousse. Initially a bit reduced but opens to show earthy aromas of smoked meat, tobacco and bitter cherry. Almost thick in texture, with nicely concentrated apple, rhubarb and lavender flavors. This is exotic stuff, with a wide range of orchard fruit and floral nuances lingering on the long, almost sappy finish.”