Vilmart et Cie
Overview
Grower Champagne house based in Rilly-la-Montagne on the Montagne de Reims. Laurent Champs makes the estate’s flagship ‘Coeur de Cuvée’ Tête de Cuvée: 80% Chardonnay / 20% Pinot Noir from 65yo ungrafted vines in the single vineyard Les Blanches Voies. Fully barrel-fermented in 1–3yo Burgundy casks, no malolactic fermentation, aged 7 years sur latte, dosage ~7g/L. Among the finest and most individual Champagnes produced.
Appellations
Key Wines
Coeur de Cuvée (Tête de Cuvée — prestige)
80% Chardonnay / 20% Pinot Noir; fully barrel-fermented in 1–3yo used Burgundy casks; no malolactic fermentation; 65yo ungrafted vines from single vineyard Les Blanches Voies; aged 7 years sur latte; dosage ~7g/L. Among the finest Têtes de Cuvée in Champagne.
Vintages:
- 2007: 95 (VFTC #118) — at apogee but decades ahead; baked pears, golden apple, chalky soil, hazelnut, brioche; “fine, fine juice”; 2025–2050
- 2002: 94 (VFTC #121) — Grand Cellier d’Or bottling (80% Chard/20% PN; 50yo vines; 10mo in Burgundy barrels/foudres; 3.5 yrs sur latte; disgorged early 2007); fully mature, “apogee already for a while”; drink to 2035+
Grand Cellier d’Or
Separate bottling from 80% Chardonnay / 20% Pinot Noir; aged shorter on lees than Coeur de Cuvée but same barrel-fermented, non-malo philosophy.
Style Notes
Vilmart is defined by Laurent Champs’ uncompromising approach: full barrel fermentation in neutral Burgundy casks, no malolactic fermentation, extended lees aging (Coeur de Cuvée: 7 years), and generous dosage (~7g/L) that buffers the non-malo acidity and allows the wines to drink with generosity upon release while still aging for decades. The Coeur de Cuvée from Les Blanches Voies represents a pinnacle of Rilly-la-Montagne’s limestone-chalk character, with oak integrating beautifully over time. Gilman compares the style favorably to Ployez-Jacquemart, noting Vilmart is “rounder and creamier” due to the shorter aging period.
Source Notes
VFTC #121 (pages 136–169): Tête de Cuvée vertical tasting alongside Ployez-Jacquemart and Billecart-Salmon. VFTC #118: 2007 Coeur de Cuvée and 2002 Grand Cellier d’Or tasted.
My Tastings
(none yet)
Sources
sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC Jan-Feb 2026 #121.pdf(pages 136–169) — Tête de Cuvée vertical tastingsources/articles/VFTC/VFTC July-August 2025 #118.txt— 2007 Coeur de Cuvée (95) and 2002 Grand Cellier d’Or (94)