Looking back over six years of SommSelect offers, we’ve presented just one Champagne from Vilmart & Cie, and it was over three years ago. This deeply frustrates me, mostly because it’s not an oversight: When it comes to obtaining a substantial amount of their vintage-dated “Grand Cellier D’Or,” one must employ extreme diligence and a proactive mindset—today’s 2014 is the limited fruit of that labor. As established subscribers know, we are passionate about sourcing the finest Champagnes, and Vilmart is undoubtedly in the top ranks—they are “one of the finest producers of any type in the region,” exclaims Champagne guru Peter Liem. Founded in 1890 and still managed by the same family, Vilmart is a rare heritage brand that just oozes authenticity, with an impeccable lineup of region-defining Champagnes characterized by vivid depth and brooding vinosity.
Today, we bring you their “Grand Cellier D’Or,” one of Vilmart’s top-tier cuvées, a wine that has inspired nicknames like “Baby Krug” for its barrel-aged opulence and intricate textures. But make no mistake: This is grown-up, High-IQ Champagne with its own singular voice. It’s not cheap, but countless collectors and sommeliers and around the globe, myself included, believe $99 is a small price to pay for a rare look into flawless sparkling wine craftsmanship. What’s more, it’s versatility is off the charts: It can be enjoyed as a standalone in flared tulips, or decanted and served in Burgundy stems alongside a main course. That’s the beauty of Vilmart's powerful, vinous Premier Cru Champagnes—there's no limit to their profundity and depth. My advice to you is to take up to six bottles and slowly uncork them over the next decade.
The 130-year-old Vilmart estate is based in Rilly-la-Montagne, a Premier Cru-classified village in the Montagne de Reims sub-zone of Champagne. As many of you know, the Montagne de Reims is dominated by Pinot Noir plantings, but Vilmart’s 11 hectares of vineyards actually contain more Chardonnay (about 60%) than ‘black’ grapes. Since 1989, the property has been in the hands of the dynamic Laurent Champs, a fifth-generation proprietor and careful steward of his treasured holdings. Although not ‘certified’ organic, Champs is a member of an organization called Ampelos, which promotes organic viticulture (since he took over, Vilmart has never employed any chemical fertilizers or herbicides in their vineyards).
One of the identifying characteristics of Vilmart’s Champagnes, up and down the lineup, is their long fermentations in barrel—a rarity for the region. For today’s 2014 “Grand Cellier D’Or,” a 80/20 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir blend from their holdings in Premier Cru Rilly-la-Montagne, the grapes were pressed separately into 228-liter Burgundy barrels. From here, they sat back and waited 10 months for the fermentation (no malo) to be completed. This lends the finished Champagnes an added dimension, a certain muscularity that invites that aforementioned comparison to Krug. Following, this 2014 was transferred into bottle where it aged on lees until the middle of 2018. They then disgorged the wine, added a seven-gram dosage, and allowed the Champagne to rest in their cellar for an additional year.
An ultra-geeky detail to note: Historically, Vilmart’s bottles were labeled with the tiny “RM” moniker, indicating a récoltant-manipulant, or ‘grower-producer.’ Many consumers have begun to look for “RM” on labels as an indicator of small-scale authenticity, but there are a few producers, Vilmart included, who’ve had to switch from “RM” to “NM” (négociant-manipulant) due to strict regulations in Champagne. In Laurent Champs’ case, his decision to rent a 1-hectare vineyard from his cousin necessitated the change: Legally, you may not carry the récoltant-manipulant designation if you purchase/rent more than 5% of your production, and in Vilmart’s case, the addition of this rented vineyard (which Laurent farms himself), represents about 10%. It’s an incredibly subtle distinction (moving from 11 hectares to 12), but the alternative would be purchasing the land, which is some of the most expensive vineyard land in the world.]
Vilmart’s ability to consistently deliver a wine with piano-wire tension, luxurious Krug-level depth, and focused minerality always produces the deepest sensory experience. With air, the wine opens with an expressive melding of fresh white and yellow flowers, crushed white stones, white peach, red/yellow apple, quince, tangerine peel, citrus blossom, cured lemon peel, lees, fresh cream, dried herbs, and a hint of oak spice. Even with all of its acidity and energy, this presents itself as a full-bodied Champagne that delivers layers upon layers of savory earth and dense orchard fruit. Track it through an evening and well into its second day of being opened—with or without a closure—and I assure you it won’t lose a step. I said earlier that this can be both a standalone or gastronomic champagne, but Terry Theise, whose annual Champagne “catalogs” provide some of the most irreverent, entertaining reading in wine leans toward the latter: “I’ve found Vilmart among the most food-friendly of all my Champagnes,” Theise writes, “because they’re so gracious, so vinous, so lordly in their carriage.” Test it out by placing it next to a succulent roast chicken on your dinner table!
