Description
Champagne Vilmart & Cie, Premier Cru “Coeur De Cuvée”
Just mentioning Vilmart et Cie will evoke some of the most fervent and reverential praise from the world’s top wine luminaries: Antonio Galloni considers them masters of finesse, Peter Liem counts them as “one of the finest producers in the region,” and Robert Parker has nominated their top label as “among the most complex, powerful, and structured wines in Champagne.” That “top label” in question is “Coeur de Cuvée,” an old-vine, single-parcel vintage bottling that spends 10 months in French oak and 65+ months sur latte before release.
You’ll find this rarefied prestige cuvée stuffed in the cellars of savvy collectors, highlighting the finest three-starred Michelin restaurants like The French Laundry and Eleven Madison Park, and, for a very brief time, right here tonight. It was recently awarded a rating just shy of perfection and, for whatever my opinion’s worth, I’m in total agreement. It’s stunning now, truly, but given another 2-5 years in bottle, I could easily see myself going further by labeling it my all-time favorite “Couer de Cuvée” release. This is a Vilmart for the ages, my friends. Enjoy.
Founded in 1890 and still managed by the same family, Vilmart is a rare heritage brand with an impeccable lineup of region-defining Champagnes characterized by spectacular energy, mind-bending poise, and powerful vinosity. These are High-IQ Champagne with a singular voice, and it hardly gets better than “Coeur de Cuvée.” The 131-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).
“Coeur de Cuvée” is an 80/20 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir blend from their famed “Les Blanches Voies Hautes” parcel in the Premier Cru village of Rilly-la-Montagne. Only vines over 55 years of age were used. In the cellar, grapes were pressed separately into 228-liter Burgundy barrels where an élevage (without malo) occurred over a 10-month period. A rarity in the region, long barrel aging is one of the identifying characteristics of Vilmart’s Champagnes—this lends the finished wines an added dimension that invites comparisons to Krug. Today’s 2012 was transferred into bottle in 2013 and was sent to mature in their cellars until the Spring of 2019. 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 one-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%. Moving from 11 hectares to 12 is an incredibly subtle distinction but the alternative is buying the land, which is among the most expensive vine real estate in the world.
The piano-wire tension, luxurious depth, and hyper-focused minerality in today’s 2012 “Coeur de Cuvée” deliver an endless sensory experience. It’s simultaneously elegant and vinous, a breathtaking Champagne that could only be crafted by Vilmart. It unfurls with nervous energy at first, effusing tightly coiled notes of apple skin, white pear, nectarine, lime leaf, dried pineapple, crushed hazelnut, wet stone, chalk, vanilla bean, and lightly toasted brioche. But given the right glass, temperature, and plenty of air, it comes alive in fantastic detail. The palate is gorgeously textured, bristling with tense minerals and citrus that seemingly expand and enliven the senses with each sip. It’s simply outstanding, one of the genuine standouts of prestige Champagne. Drink one now, slowly, but do be aware that the peak of this wine has not yet arrived. It’s now dangerously close to celebrating its 10-year-old birthday, which is generally when Vilmart’s “Couer” bottlings hit new levels of savory profundity. That said, tonight’s 2012 will glide through 2027-2032, and perhaps live well beyond that! Enjoy.
This can be enjoyed as a standalone in flared tulips, or decanted and served in Burgundy stems alongside a main course. Importer 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.
