Laser-like focus, and bright lemon and green apple fruit, make for an invigorating drink (yesterday).Night two (tonight) more winey, but just as interesting. Both nights the finish was extremely long, carried by the bright acids of the wine. This was exactly how I want young Champagne - brilliant, refreshing and of course delicious.
BODY: gold leaf color of medium intensity; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: medium+ richness; medium+ to high acidity; baking spices evidence the bottle age; yellow apple — not oxidized apple flavor; could handle more age nicely; this is in a very nice spot, and seems to have improved with bottle age. gut impression score: 91 - 92.
I’ll add to the chorus here, as I recently reloaded some more of this wine. I’m finishing off the last few ounces tonight of the bottle I shared with a few neighbors last night. Fortunately, this wasn’t a Champagne loving crowd so I got to finish off the wine tonight. I drink a lot of Champagne these days, more than anything else, and I’ll put Vilmart and Laurent’s wines up against any other Champagne producer. For balance, acidity, fruit…it’s all exquisitely joined together, regardless of the cuvee or the price point.
NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut- France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (9/27/2021)
Opened yesterday, saved a few ounces for today with some of the CO2 still maintained but this is more still today than bubbly. I’ve had this disgorgement twice now–September 2018–and the richness on this bottle is evident, yet the acidity as usual is here to keep it fresh. This has an intriguing mix of fruits (mango, pineapple, tangerine, apple) with intense flavor of honeyed lime, exotic in taste when married together. And it might sound odd in a wine that I describe as exotic to have a mouthwatering quality yet this bottle shows that kind of tactical sensation. It reminds me of a dried citrus finish, the lime giving it that quality with added saline in the finish. In sum, this is even better than the bottle 3 weeks ago. Just flat out gorgeous.