I love featuring Champagne around the Fourth of July. I think any occasion that brings friends and family together deserves a celebratory bottle of wine, and Vilmart's Grand Cellier Brut is legendary stuff from one of Champagne's greatest small houses.
This is one of those producers that sommeliers love and collectors chase. Once you get it into your glass, you'll understand why. I bought a healthy chunk of this last holiday season, and with several months of rest, this stuff is drinking like a dream.
The current release earned a trifecta of terrific reviews: 94 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 93 points from both Decanter and Wine Spectator. Those scores are well deserved, and my team and I came away just as impressed when we opened a bottle recently.
Founded in 1890, Vilmart continues the traditional practice of fermenting its base wines in large oak casks, something very few Champagne houses still do today. Don't worry, the oak never dominates the wine, it just adds remarkable texture, depth, and complexity while allowing the fruit and chalky terroir to shine through.
The Grand Cellier is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir from Premier Cru vineyards in Rilly-la-Montagne. Rich and layered, yet vibrant and impeccably balanced, it offers beautiful notes of baked apple, lemon curd, white flowers, toasted brioche, hazelnut, and chalky minerality, along with a touch of exotic spice from the oak aging.
The mousse is incredibly fine, the finish is long and saline, and every sip keeps you coming back for another. Simply put, DELICIOUS!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
