Champagne Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier Brut

Laurent Champs and his family have quietly built Vilmart into one of Champagne's benchmark grower estates. Based in the Premier Cru village of Rilly-la-Montagne, Vilmart farms organically and vinifies their wines in oak barrels rather than stainless steel, a practice that lends remarkable texture and complexity to their Champagnes. Grand Cellier is a blend dominated by Chardonnay with Pinot Noir providing depth and structure, and it consistently ranks among the finest non-vintage Champagnes produced in the region.

Rich yet incredibly precise, Grand Cellier offers captivating aromas and flavors of baked apple, lemon curd, pear, toasted brioche, roasted hazelnut, and chalky minerality. The palate is creamy and expansive, but vibrant acidity keeps everything fresh and energetic. This is serious Champagne that drinks beautifully upon release yet has the structure to reward additional cellar time. Enjoy it with oysters, lobster, roast chicken, or simply on its own.

Wine Spectator, 93 points: "A vivid Champagne, with chiseled acidity enmeshed with flavors of crushed boysenberry and chopped yellow peach fruit, lime peel, fragrant nutmeg and cumin, plus hints of crystallized honey and oyster shell. This is tightly meshed and racy, yet the raw silklike mousse carries the flavor profile nicely through the persistent finish. Enjoy this today as well as with cellaring. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir."