Vilmart & Cie 2014 "Coeur de Cuvée" Brut, Champagne, France

While Vilmart & Cie is frequently compared to Grandes Marques Champagne houses, in truth, there are few Champagnes quite like Vilmart. Laurent Champs has been at the helm of this remarkable estate since 1989. As the 5th generation winemaker, he maintains the tradition of crafting wines of power, elegance, and energy. That is part of the magic of Vilmart and their tiny corner of the northern Montagne de Reims. 2012 is an outstanding vintage, a truly perfect showcase for these wines.

Laurent’s top cuvée is his vintage-dated Coeur de Cuvée, produced from the estate’s oldest vines, averaging over 60 years of age. First produced in 1989, Coeur de Cuvée is always a single vineyard wine, from Les Blanches Voies, where Laurent grows mostly Chardonnay in a Pinot Noir dominated region. Fermented and aged in oak, he always blocks malolactic fermentation in his wines, preserving a striking level of acidity in contrast to the rich, textural body of the wines. These are luxurious Champagnes, drinking them is like being wrapped in cashmere and silk.

Chef du Cave: Laurent Champs
Varieties: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir
Farming: Organic and Sustainable
Terroir: Rilly-la-Montagne 1er Cru; Blanches Voies single-vineyard, 60-year-old vines, sélection massale.
Vinification: 10 months 228L barrique, blocked ML
Aging: Sur latte 70 months minimum in the cellars on lees. Disgorged Mar 2021

Notes: Vilmart & Cie. traces its history back to 1890, when it was founded by Désiré Vilmart, and from the beginning, Vilmart & Cie. has always been a récoltant-manipulant, making champagne exclusively from estate-owned vines. The majority of Vilmart’s 11 hectares of vines lie in Rilly-la-Montagne, although there are a few plots just over the border in the neighboring village of Villers-Allerand. Vilmart is a member of Ampelos, an organization that promotes organic and sustainable viticulture, and Champs has never used any herbicides or chemical fertilizers since taking over the estate. All of the vineyards are planted with cover crops and plowed, and Champs enjoys an additional advantage in that his parcels are relatively large—only 12 different parcels over 11 hectares—meaning that he is more protected from contamination by chemical treatments in neighboring plots. "

"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

Notes From January 2021 Bottle Club (featuring the 2012 vintage):

It might be hard to resist just popping the cork, but some Champagnes really are worth cellaring and saving for a truly remarkable occasion. Vilmart’s top single-vintage Champagne, ‘Coeur de Cuvée,’ is most certainly one of those wines. Although it doesn’t have the same name-brand recognition as Salon, Dom Perignón or Cristal, true wine enthusiasts know that Coeur de Cuvée easily sits amongst these names when considering the region’s top vintage bottlings.

Laurent Champs has been at the helm of this remarkable estate since 1989. As the 5th generation winemaker, he maintains the tradition of crafting wines of power, elegance, and energy. That is part of the magic of Vilmart and their tiny corner of the northern Montagne de Reims. Always crafting a wine that is rich and plentiful on the palate, Coeur de Cuvée picks up more complexity and weight as it ages, and 2012 is an outstanding vintage for Vilmart.

Coeur de Cuvée is produced from Vilmart’s oldest vines, averaging over 60 years of age, from the organic single vineyard of ‘Les Blanches Voies’. Made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, it’s fermented and aged for 10 months in large barrique. Laurent always blocks malolactic fermentation in his wines, preserving a striking level of acidity in contrast to the rich, textural body of the wines. The Coeur de Cuvée aged sur latte (on its side, on its lees) for 72 months before being disgorged in 2019.

This is a luxurious Champagne. Drinking it is like being wrapped in cashmere and silk.

Cellar this bottle for up to 30 years, and enjoy out of large-bowled glasses.