Their Story: Robert Parker has rated Vilmart & Cie as “outstanding” and one of the top 15 producers in Champagne.
Champagne Vilmart was founded by Desire Vilmart in the sleepy hamlet of Rilly-la-Montagne de Reims in 1872. During the course of the next twenty years Desire Vilmart established his vineyards and began slowly to offer his Champagne. In 1930 the responsibility passed to Renan Vilmart, the grandfather of the current owner Laurent Champs.
Laurent painstakingly and lovingly tends the House. The vines are planted in the Rilly-la-Montagne Premier Cru that provides ideal ripening conditions for all three approved varietals. The vineyards are all farmed sustainably and certified organic.
Peter Liem writes: “Vilmart & Cie is not only one of the greatest grower-estates in Champagne, but one of the finest Champagne producers of any type in the Region.”
Food & Wine’s Wine Guide says “Vilmart & Cie has a cult following for its refined, elegant Champagnes.”
“Laurent Champs works entirely in cask or barrique, with meticulously and organically farmed fruit from Rilly-la-Montagne and its immediate neighborhood. The best Vilmart cuvées are among the most complex, powerful, and structured wines in Champagne.” - Robert Parker
Vilmart & Cie is featured on the lists of Eleven Madison Park, The French Laundry, Balthazar and the Modern.
Region: Montagne de Reims
Grape Varieties: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir
Villages & Soil Type: Rilly la Montagne1er Cru (calcareous clay and limestone)
Champagnes to Discover:
The Vineyard Area: 11 hectares (27.5 acres)
Quantity produced annually: 9,000 cases
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