Vilmart & Cie. is not only one of the greatest grower-estates in Champagne, but one of the finest Champagne producers of any type in the region.

-Peter Liem, Champagneguide.net

 

With every passing vintage, it seems that Champagne Growers are trying to out-austere each other, making wines that are even screechier than last year’s, with higher acidities and less dosage. They have produced some beautiful and electrifying wines along the way, to be sure, but this isn’t Champagne for the faint of heart!

Of course, Champagne Growers aren’t limited to any one style, and we love what Vilmart brings to the table (ideally your dining room table): a Grower Champagne that is rich and luxurious. In fact, we recently had one of Vilmart’s importers come by the shop to indulge us in a blind tasting that featured Vilmart head-to-head against one of the most rich and luxurious wines of them all, Krug, and it was unquestionably the case that Vilmart’s was the better wine.

This can partly be explained by Vilmart’s location in the Montagne de Reims, the region most associated with Champagne’s luxurious side. It’s also wine-making: Vilmart makes wine in a style reminiscent of how you might make Batard Montrachet – except that malolactic fermentations are blocked, giving the wine at least some edge alongside those gloriously hedonistic bubbles.

We are pleased to offer Vilmart’s Clos de Cellier today. It’s a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, all grown in Vilmart’s home village of Rilly-la-Montagne. It’s aged for 10 months in large barrels. It’s a bright gold Champagne, heady and complex. It’s festive. It’s fabulous.

Vilmart & Cie Champagne 1er Cru Grand Cellier NV $79.99

 

 

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