Champagne Vilmart, Grand Cellier

The Grande Cellier is made from 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, its fruit coming from 2005, 2006 and 2007. Flowery and spicy on the nose, the wine develops pleasingly on the palate with praline and hazelnut to the fore and a strong finish with notes of crystallized fruits.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

The NV Cuvee Grand Cellier opens with sweet, seductive aromas which then lead to a refined expression of fruit framed by silky tannins. This is a breathtaking Champagne at this level, and one for which adjectives seem inadequate to express just how beautifully balanced and well-spoken this wine is. A delicate, lingering finish beckons for yet another taste.

Proprietor Laurent Champs makes some of the region’s most distinctive Champagnes. The Vilmart wines are characterized by an extreme sense of elegance, clarity and definition. The domaine’s eleven hectares of vineyards are planted with 60% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinot Meunier, with vine ages ranging from 35 to 55 years, clearly towards the older side of the spectrum in the region. Champs prefers oak aging for his wines. The entry-level wines are aged in cask, while the top selections spend time in smaller French oak barrels.
(Antonio Galloni - Wine Advocate - Dec 08)