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1998 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Cuvée Creation 1.5L
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In all my time drinking Champagne - which is more than ample - I've rarely come across any one producer with more poise, or wines with a finer blend of all the things I love about wine. Each drop from a Vilmart bottle so perfectly balances the razor's edge of rich ripeness and adroit acidity, deep-seeding a visceral sensory memory out of each glass. Hands down, Vilmart creates the most consistently superb wines from Champagne, fit for the ultimate connoisseur or an eager novice, and everyone in between.

Vilmart & Cie

Vilmart has been in the hands for 5 full generations, soon to be 6 as Laurent Champs' son has begun helping in the winery. The thought is somewhat simple - "I want to make wine first, and then worry about the bubbles." This was once how Champagne was made before the mass-production and glam & glitz of a glass of bubbles began to supersede the thought of a winemaker toiling to craft a handmade wine. Vilmart has never wavered from this method, however. 

All of the Vilmart wines will spend time in oak, no matter the size of barrel - as small as the 228L Burgundy barrels, and as large as 5500L. However, what sets these apart is the freshness resulting from the malo-lactic conversion being prevented; thus, you have the ripeness obtained from smart farming, the softness of oak, yet the brilliant, refreshing zest of Champagne's chalk. It's a style that I believe anyone can find pleasure in!

Laurent oversees 11 parcels covering 12 hectares; the larger parcels allows for better farming practices, as his his vines won't feel as much impact from neighboring vineyards that aren't farmed biodynamically, as Vilmart hsa largely employed for some time. Almost 60% Chardonnay all told, with 36% Pinot Noir and 4% Meunier.

Meet the Producer

Vilmart & Cie

In all my time drinking Champagne - which is more than ample - I've rarely come across any one producer with more poise, or wines with a finer blend of all the things I love about wine. Each drop from a Vilmart bottle so perfectly balances the razor's edge of rich ripeness and adroit acidity, deep-seeding a visceral sensory memory out of each glass. Hands down, Vilmart creates the most consistently superb wines from Champagne, fit for the ultimate connoisseur or an eager novice, and everyone in between.

Vilmart has been in the hands for 5 full generations, soon to be 6 as Laurent Champs' son has begun helping in the winery. The thought is somewhat simple - "I want to make wine first, and then worry about the bubbles." This was once how Champagne was made before the mass-production and glam & glitz of a glass of bubbles began to supersede the thought of a winemaker toiling to craft a handmade wine. Vilmart has never wavered from this method, however. 

All of the Vilmart wines will spend time in oak, no matter the size of barrel - as small as the 228L Burgundy barrels, and as large as 5500L. However, what sets these apart is the freshness resulting from the malo-lactic conversion being prevented; thus, you have the ripeness obtained from smart farming, the softness of oak, yet the brilliant, refreshing zest of Champagne's chalk. It's a style that I believe anyone can find pleasure in!

Laurent oversees 11 parcels covering 12 hectares; the larger parcels allows for better farming practices, as his his vines won't feel as much impact from neighboring vineyards that aren't farmed biodynamically, as Vilmart hsa largely employed for some time. Almost 60% Chardonnay all told, with 36% Pinot Noir and 4% Meunier.


The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

91

The 1998 Cuvee Creation is 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir from 40 year old vines. Here, all of the juice is used (as opposed to the Coeur de Cuvee) but the wine is given a longer period of bottle age. The Chardonnay character is particularly evident in this wine, as tropical fruit, mango, passion fruit, earthiness and crushed rock nuances waft from the glass. Soft notes of salinity resonate on the long finish. While most growers would be thrilled to have the Creation, here it comes across as a bit of an orphan. As outstanding as this wine can be, it doesn’t quite have the personality of the estate’s other top wines. Not surprisingly, Champs told me 2000 will be the last vintage of this wine, as he feels he has too many different wines in his line-up. This is the November, 2007 disgorgement. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016. Proprietor Laurent Champs makes some of the region’s most distinctive Champagnes. The Vilmart wines are characterized by an extreme sense of elegance, clarity and definition. The domaine’s eleven hectares of vineyards are planted with 60% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinot Meunier, with vine ages ranging from 35 to 55 years, clearly towards the older side of the spectrum in the region. Champs prefers oak aging for his wines. The entry-level wines are aged in cask, while the top selections spend time in smaller French oak barrels. Readers should note that the entry-level NV is available on a very limited basis in the US, and I was not able to taste it for this article. Therefore, this range begins with the Grand Cellier, which represents a significantly higher level than the straight NV.

Vinous

Vinous

92

Medium yellow. Intensely smoky, energetic bouquet evokes ripe peach, honeyed pear, buttered toast and a wild cherry skin quality. Round and fleshy, offering deep but precise apple and pear flavors and bracing citrus zest bite. Really expands across the palate while maintaining energy and focus.

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

91

The 1998 Cuvee Creation is 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir from 40 year old vines. Here, all of the juice is used (as opposed to the Coeur de Cuvee) but the wine is given a longer period of bottle age. The Chardonnay character is particularly evident in this wine, as tropical fruit, mango, passion fruit, earthiness and crushed rock nuances waft from the glass. Soft notes of salinity resonate on the long finish. While most growers would be thrilled to have the Creation, here it comes across as a bit of an orphan. As outstanding as this wine can be, it doesn’t quite have the personality of the estate’s other top wines. Not surprisingly, Champs told me 2000 will be the last vintage of this wine, as he feels he has too many different wines in his line-up. This is the November, 2007 disgorgement. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016. Proprietor Laurent Champs makes some of the region’s most distinctive Champagnes. The Vilmart wines are characterized by an extreme sense of elegance, clarity and definition. The domaine’s eleven hectares of vineyards are planted with 60% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinot Meunier, with vine ages ranging from 35 to 55 years, clearly towards the older side of the spectrum in the region. Champs prefers oak aging for his wines. The entry-level wines are aged in cask, while the top selections spend time in smaller French oak barrels. Readers should note that the entry-level NV is available on a very limited basis in the US, and I was not able to taste it for this article. Therefore, this range begins with the Grand Cellier, which represents a significantly higher level than the straight NV.

Vinous

Vinous

92

Medium yellow. Intensely smoky, energetic bouquet evokes ripe peach, honeyed pear, buttered toast and a wild cherry skin quality. Round and fleshy, offering deep but precise apple and pear flavors and bracing citrus zest bite. Really expands across the palate while maintaining energy and focus.