NV H. Billiot Cuvee Laetitia

The flagship Multi Vintage Brut Cuvee Laetitia comes across as delicate and floral in this version. Pears, white peaches, flowers and spices are some of the nuances that are woven into a fabric of notable class. Layers of sweet perfumed fruit run through the understated finish. The flagship Cuvee Laetitia is a blend of vintages going back to 1983. My sense is that there is a fair amount of younger vintages here given the brightness of the wine. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged June 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2020. Wine Advocate 92

Brad Baker, The Champagne Warrior, July 2010
The richest, most complex, and flat-out best Laetitia ever made. This wine explodes on the palate with peach, apricot, and spicy citrus. I have born witness: one sip has the capacity to result in an involuntary "Hallelujah"... this wine ranks with the best Billiot has ever made. Do yourself a favor and go find a bottle of this.

(Majority Chardonnay with the rest Pinot Noir; Ambonnay; 2005 base wine from a solera dating back to 1983 that is tilting more and more towards Chardonnay over time; Oak aging; Disgorged late 2009; 900 - 1800 bottles produced; $85-115 US)   91-94 points

Allen Meadows, Burghound, October 2009
(SRP $112) 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.   93 points