The last several months have been hard for many. We all have our own struggles with The 19, the impending election here in the US, the civil unrest…for me at least, it has been hard at times. But joy can be found, within the friendships we keep, the values we hold dear and in the instance of the wines we love, the joy from drinking a great bottle.
One producer consistently brings me joy, and that is Vilmart. I’ve visited once in 2018 (and would have gone back a few months ago as planned but The 19 screwed that up), and since that visit we had the good fortune of hosting Laurent Champs, the owner and winemaker for Vilmart, when we did a Zoom with him a few months back here on WB. I also found my way into another Zoom with Laurent last week, as someone in the IG audience who had signed on to hear from him.
His spirit is calming, there is a warmth and kindness that I experience when I listen to him. He seems like a truly good soul and it’s my hope I can visit there in 2021 once things calm down.
As important for me are his wines, which are bottled joy. I’ve been drinking them now for several years, fortunate to be introduced to them by fellow WBer, Steve Nordhoff. The acidity, the balance, the expression in his wines across the range is really to me just stunning. Below you can see a photo of some recent bottles, enjoyed amongst a very small group of friends each time. And soon enough, more will arrive as the boats come in and the pending bottles are in my cellar, ready to join the others.
In these times, when there is such division, frustration, challenge, it’s a relief to have wines like Vilmart that can be a catalyst for joy. We all have our sources of joy in the wine world…the Vilmart wines are mine.
Love those wines. The zoom was fantastic (thanks to you, Todd and Brad for arranging it). We’ve met Laurent a few times in NYC, and his passion is clear.
Such a heartfelt and fervent reminder of keeping hope and joy and balancing by rewarding yourself with something like this. Thank you for both the note and the sentiment, Frank. Now my Grand Celliers are calling to me
Nice post Frank. Realy enjoyed your zoom a while back. I buy what I can, but the wines are somewhat ‘dear’ in our market. Grand Cellier NV & Rubis are both in the $100-$120/750 range and the vintage wines are a fair bit further up the scale. Adds up when needing to buy in case quantities. There’s no close doppelganger to Vilmart that I’ve found, but thankfully there are many other growers with equal vision of quality & purity.
I really enjoyed the zoom with Laurent a while ago. We visited Vilmart a few years ago and were shown a nice visit and tasting with Laurent. I opened a '17 disgorged Grand Cellier and a recently purchased Cuvee Rubis both of which were excellent. I too hope the Covid 19 ends quickly so we can make a return trip to France.
They are beautiful wines. As happens in the wine world, the price keeps pushing up against the top of my comfort zone. I don’t begrudge them it because they are really that good and I’m sure demand is strong, but they’ve moved into the “save a small stash for special occasions” world rather than something I can just pop for fun. Of course, that’s all a completely personal equation, and everyone else’s will be different.
2004 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée- France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (7/28/2020)
Blind: This was perfect for an afternoon with friends. There’s a solid core of ripe fruit mid palate, no apologies need as there’s plenty of grip for the leaner crowd. If I had to bring one sparkler to cover a crowd, this might be it because there’s something for everyone.
2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut- France, Champagne (7/28/2020)
What is it about the mousse with Cristal, it’s incredible. The mouthfeel of this wine is so distinctive. Light and fluffy. I love the lemon notes. If you’re like me, this is not a daily drinker, but if you have the chance or muster up the coin, you will not be disappointed.
2014 Bérêche et Fils Champagne Campania Remensis- France, Champagne (7/28/2020)
Light rose colored, almost washed out. Great wine. Very good balance for rose, somethings they get too fruity, and nice acid wrapped around stone fruit and citrus with a noticeable strawberry underneath.
2014 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Gastronome Blanc de Blancs Brut- France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (7/28/2020)
Incredible QPR as I think I grabbed this for $45. It’s worth twice that and I see that it doesn’t score that well with the CT fans. That’s okay. Nose has a hint of raw dough, almost like play-dough. Yellow and green apples trade off on the attack but the citrus takes over through the finish. Problem need to reload here.
2017 Model Farm Syrah Petaluma Gap- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (7/28/2020)
A very graceful yet powerful syrah. The attack is very pinot-like with red berry flavors but the strong foundation of tar and lots of fine grit tannins. Great with BBQ. Super wine.
2018 Williams Selyem Chardonnay Unoaked- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/28/2020)
Has the body of a larger oaked wine but without the resin. Enjoyable in it’s simplicity and freshness.
NV Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut- France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (7/28/2020)
My first Selosse, excited as this is the grandfather of the revolution. I like this wine, in a geeky way, but there were others that I preferred. I’m thankful for the chance to taste it.
Brig - Your tasting notes are all dated for July 28, 2020 - TODAY! and your time of that post is 2:04 PM Eastern/11:04 Pacific.
Good Morning. Well done, sir!
Talk about JOY!
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