Just about the most important book on wine written in the last five years is Andrew Jefford`s `The New France` in which he states that the new era of the Champagne grower/producer is just beginning. Different in many ways from the industrial production of the big houses, grower fizz is as difficult to buy as any other wine; we have to kiss a lot of frogs to find royalty in disguise. But when we found Vilmart, or rather found ourselves able to buy Vilmart - only 7,500 cases per year from 11 hectares in total, we were in the presence of an emperor of fizz. Consider what the precious initials RM (Recoltant-Manipulateur) mean in this case. Viticulture. very tight pruning, in this region almost dangerously so, given the danger of frost, this reduces yields to around a tenth of the 83 hectolitres per hectare permitted in some years. Then the farming, which is done biodynamically, with quite high vine density, restricting vigour further and increasing quality accordingly through the production of smaller and fewer more concentrated berries along with less foliage. It also helps proof the vines against the vagaries of extreme weather because it promotes longer roots. In the cellar one immediately notices the absence of stainless steel tanks and the large collection of huge and small oak barrels in which the ferment takes place. The further up the range a wine is, the more of this new oak it sees. But it is only since the mid-eighties that Vilmart has reached this consistently high standard as Rene Champs has learned these new techniques of working with so much oak in this region. He is also spawning a legion of imitators; always a sign one is doing something right.