Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier d'OR 2018

Vilmart & Cie is a grower champagne and family home that originated in 1890 by Désiré Vilmart and ever since, sons and sons-in-law have followed, always with this love of the profession, allowing this small domain to become what it is today in the heart of the Montagne de Reims a few kilometres south of Reims in the village Rilly la Montagne. Laurent Champs, 5th generation family member and Chef de Cave of Vilmart is one of Champagne’s unsung heroes, wine critic Tom Stevenson described Vilmart as “the greatest grower Champagne I know.” There are 11 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards in Rilly-la-Montagne which are planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The oldest vines are reserved for the Coeur de Cuvée and Blanc de Blancs champagnes. They have been farming biodynamically since 1989 and today are certified Viticulture Durable, Ampélos, and Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) meaning farming is free of synthetic chemicals. The fermentations are entirely in oak, giving them a richness and complexity that really builds texture an unmistakably Vilmart character.

Another characteristic of Vilmart champagnes is the absence of malolactic fermentation. This preserves freshness, tautness and subtlety, as well as the pronounced identity of the aromas. After 10 months of vinification and resting on the lees in wooden barrels, the wines are bottled and left to age in the estate’s chalk cellars: three to four years for non-vintage champagnes, and five to eight years for vintages.

Weather: The 2018 year started cold particularly February with some snowfall. By April the sunshine emerged leading to flowering at the end of May, some 10 days ahead of the 10 year average. Summer was hot and mostly dry with harvest starting on 20th August and lasted some 4 weeks. The lower night time temperatures during summer helped preserve the grapes natural acidity. In general all grapes performed well, with lots of forward fruit and most champagne will have ok acidity, not racy, not soft. Becoming a new benchmark for the Champagne region in terms of the heat, drought and sunshine levels!

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Premier Cru | Rilly la Montagne in the heart of the Montagne de Reims
Grape Varieties: 80% Chardonnay & 20% Pinot Noir from 55 year old vines
Disgorged: July 2022
Ageing process: Ten months into large oak casks of 228 litres
Lees Ageing: 3.5 Years
Winemaker: Laurent Champs
Dosage: 7 g/l
Malolactic Fermentation: 0%

Tasting Note: The powerful bouquet reveals aromas of black cherries, blood orange, Chinese aniseed and menthol. Shortly after, a more complex character is appearing with notes of pastry, cooked butter and passion fruit with discreet floral aromas. A remarkable attack develops on your palate with the right balance of freshness and richness. A hint of acidity is enhancing notes of butter and dry fruit. The aromatic persistence is underlined by a sour finish.

Watch Essi Avellan MW & Nick's video tasting review of this champagne here.