Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier d'Or Brut 2017
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Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Vinous
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Wine Spectator
Reveals a rapierlike spine of acidity that defines flavors of dried cherry, walnut oil, preserved lemon and pain d'épices, which have greater impact up front and through the midpalate, echoing quietly yet persistently on the finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Champagne Grand Cellier d'Or Brut is also 70% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir. The nose is a bit more rounded, with notes of pastry, almond, and ripe peach. The palate is ripe upfront and through the mid-palate, with juicy lime candy, pear, and melon. It has a light confected feel and is open and approachable. Drink 2023-2033.
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Vinous
The 2017 Brut Grand Cellier d' Or is a rich, exuberant wine. In 2017, the Brut Grand Cellier d' Or has an exotic, tropical quality that is a bit unusual, but also incredibly appealing. Hints of mango, passionfruit, citrus confit and white flowers all build nicely in the glass. Medium in body and yet quite resonant, the 2017 is an absolute delight. The 2017 looks to be more of an early-drinking vintage, but I doubt that will be a problem for Vilmart fans. The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Disgorged: July, 2021.
The majority of Vilmart's 11 hectares of vines lie in Rilly-la-Montagne, although there are a few plots just over the border in the neighboring village of Villers-Allerand. Vilmart is a member of Ampelos, an organization that promotes organic and sustainable viticulture, and Champs has never used any herbicides or chemical fertilizers since taking over the estate. All of the vineyards are planted with cover crops and plowed, and Champs enjoys an additional advantage in that his parcels are relatively large—only 12 different parcels over 11 hectares—meaning that he is more protected from contamination by chemical treatments in neighboring plots.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’