Notable pedigree, a Premier Cru village, and the charming fifth-generation Champenois, Laurent Champs, at the helm make for a compelling fairytale-like story, and each vintage of Vilmart seems to have an even happier ending than the last. Vilmart was founded in 1890 specifically as a grower-producer, unlike other producers of the time, who were establishing themselves as negociants. Vilmart knew that the specific terroir of its vineyards, grown in the Premier Cru village of Rilly-La-Montagne, was something special. Currently, Laurent and his son Thomas, make the wine for the winery. They focus on the health of the vines and a more vinous style than a lot of other Champagnes. People often remark how Burgundian these wines taste, as both fermentation and aging take place in oak. I wholeheartedly agree with “their” assessment! Sometimes, I forget about the bubbles inside! Lauren Champs himself has said that he “wants to make wine first and then worry about the bubbles.”

Plenty of critics and bubbles imbibers are massive fans of all things Vilmart, including Vinous’ Antonio Galloni and the revered Champagne expert, Peter Liem – who had this to say: “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.” Composed of 70% chardonnay and 30% pinot noir from 50-plus-year-old vines – it’s rich, with the incredible autolytic notes that I love in Champagne that suggest maturity and long lees aging, which here is 10 months in barrel before an additional 42 months on the lees prior to disgorgement and Brut-level dosage of 7 g/L. Malo is blocked in most of Vilmart’s wines, including this one, amplifying the mineral notes. The resulting wine is in line with all of Vilmart’s offerings – fresh, classy, and luxurious Champagne with fine texture and ample layers of delight.

Bright, powerful, and smoky aromas take flight immediately, with green apples, cardamom, and toasted hazelnuts, soon followed by flavors of black cherries, plums, Seville orange, lemongrass, and salted watermelon. The mouthfeel is creamy and nicely developed for such a recent disgorgement, with a roundness that typically requires a few more years on the cork for Vilmart. The finish is zippy, fresh, and searingly bright, a razor-like reset of cleansing acidity that prepares you for the next sip. This is an utterly worthy bottle for your cellar – in fact, get a few to enjoy now and later, as it’s sure to only continue evolving into an even more gorgeous wine with time. Vilmart does it again!