2020 Vilmart Grand Cellier d'Or
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Tasting notes
The 2020 Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier D'Or Brut is gorgeous and open on the nose, with perfumed floral and pastry notes of fresh pastry dough, lemon verbena, citrus blossoms, fresh hazelnut, and fresh peaches. It’s mainly Chardonnay with 20% Pinot Noir, from 50-year-old vines, and it was fermented for 10 months in 228-liter barrels and aged 42 months on the lees in the cellar after bottling. Elegant and medium to full-bodied, it’s more rounded, finessed, and open with this release. The palate is round but again has driving, stony mineral persistence and structure that is characteristic of the mousse, which is refined and adds just a bit of energetic electricity to the wine. The second tasting was more taut and tension-driven. The mousse is pillowy and inviting, and its acidity is refreshing and bright. It’s approachable now but should have a wide window for drinking over the next 15 to 20 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com
More reviews and scores
Sourced from the lieu-dit Les Blanches Voies in Rilly-la-Montagne, the same vineyard that supplies their Blanc de Blancs, Vilmart & Cie’s 2020 Grand Cellier d’Or is a resounding success. Informed by 50-year-old, south-facing vines and framed by élevage in 228-liter barrels, this cuvée follows the signature blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Laurent Champs recalls 2020 as a year of exceptional quality, if not quantity. Disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it soars from the glass with aromas of dried flowers, vanilla, lemon zest and pear, mingling with spices. On the palate, it is deep and tensile, structured around vivid acidity, perfectly capturing the hard-to-strike balance between richness and freshness, concluding with a long, precise finish.
The 2020 Brut Grand Cellier d'Or is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Bold citrus and savory notes are beautifully delineated throughout. There's terrific energy in the glass, along with a slightly vegetal quality typical of the year that lurks beneath. I especially admire the wine's tension. This finely cut, vibrant Champagne certainly has a lot to recommend it. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2024.