Vilmart: 'setting the gold standard for grower Champagne'

'Consistency is the name of the game at Vilmart. Year in and year out, these are some of the most polished, sophisticated wines in Champagne.'

Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, March 2024

Vilmart make 'some of the classiest wines in all of Champagne', as Antonio Galloni writes; Champagne writer Michael Edwards says they are 'setting the gold standard for grower Champagne'. Vilmart have been on the scene since 1890, but nobody can accuse them of resting on their laurels. They are based in the village of Rilly-la-Montagne, at the foot of the Montagne de Reims. They own all the vineyards they use to make their Champagnes, which is the definition of a grower Champagne. All those vineyards are local to them, they're all premier cru, and they're planted entirely to Chardonnay (60%) and Pinot Noir (40%), unusual in an area dominated by Meunier.

Vilmart's vineyards and buildings got trashed during the Second World War, then painstakingly put back together. They remain a family estate; these days, fifth generation Laurent Champs and, since 2020, his son Thomas are in charge. Laurent is an obsessive vineyard manager; 'respecting our natural environment develops exceptional flavours in our wines,' he says. Vilmart also has certain cellar signatures. One is that all cuvées are vinified in wood, mainly large foudres. Another is that they avoid malolactic fermentation, to preserve a taut, fresh character.

The Grande Reserve is a blend from three vintages, which spends 10 months in foudre before being bottled, acquiring a nice golden tinge in the process. The Grande Cellier is a step up, made from a slightly different, older set of vintages to the Grande Reserve. Then Grande Cellier d'Or is their classic vintage cuvée, and perhaps what the house is most famous for. Cuvée Rubis is an unusually characterful non-vintage rosé Champagne. The vintage Couer de Cuvée comes from the best (i.e. the first) pressings of the cuvée. And we are also happy to offer their vintage Blanc des Blancs from the fabulous 2013 Chardonnay vintage. After bottling, the non-vintage cuvées spend 4-5 years resting in the cellar before release, and the vintage cuvées get between 5-8 years. /NT