Vilmart - Champagner Grande Reserve Brut 1er Cru

James Suckling: "A blend of pinot noir (70%) and chardonnay (30%), this has a profound sense of harmony on both the nose and palate. Aromas of grilled nuts, pepper and lightly spiced wild raspberry fruits are pristine, leading to a palate that has beautifully supple, fleshy texture. The acidity is assertive, not harsh; the depth, balance and concentration is really something. Drink now whilst fresh or up to three years."

Wine Spectator: "A bright, harmonious Champagne, with a lovely vibrancy to the finely detailed bead that effortlessly carries the flavor range, including crunchy Asian pear, tangerine and slivered almond notes that show hints of grated ginger and elderflower. Ends with a lasting, creamy finish. Disgorged October 2019."

The Wine Advocate: "A blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, the latest rendition of Vilmart's NV Brut Premier Cru Grande Réserve reveals a pure, delicate bouquet of pear, white flowers, confit citrus and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, pure, precise and seamless, it has a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and a crystalline texture that paves the way to a long, mouthwatering and ethereal finish. Based on the 2021 vintage complemented with 2020 and 2019, it includes 50% vins de réserve and was vinified and matured for 10 months."

Falstaff: "Goldgelb, lang anhaltendes feines Mousseux. Spannende Frucht nach gereifter Birne und Aprikose, kandierte Trockenfrüchte, Orange und Ingwer, pfeffrig mit feiner Briochenote. Ziselierende rassige Säure mit eleganter Frische und feiner Extraktsüße, cremig anhaftend mit feingliedriger Mineralik, im Nachgeschmack zart nussig und würzig mit großer Länge und Eleganz."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: "Based on the 2020 vintage with 50% of reserve wines from the previous two years, the Vilmart Grand Réserve NV is a 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay blend that is barrel fermented with ten months on lees prior to second fermentation and disgorgement December 2022. It was finished with an eight grams per liter dosage. Burnished gold with columns of exuberant bubbles, it opens with slightly oxidative notes of bruised apple that give way to fresh Anjou pear, white grapefruit peel, verbena blossoms and toast. Medium-bodied with incisive acid freshness and subdued orchard fruit, it finishes with a long, mineral note."

Jancis Robinson: "Very pale greenish straw. Light but very interesting nose. Pretty admirable. Dancing and lively. One of the most ethereal of this range of growers' wines. Really lively and racy."