Critic ratings
robert_parker
2008
Rating:
95
–95
The 2008 Coeur de Cuvée Premier Cru Brut is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from 55-years-old vines, whose must comes from the coeur de cuvée, so the very best part of the pressing. This 2008 was disgorged in March 2015 with eight grams per liter. The wine opens with intense and ripe, highly elegant and Chardonnay-driven fruit with intense lemon, hazelnut and chalk flavors. It's rich and elegant on the palate, very firm and mineral, with great length, complexity and a string of mineral expression. This wine has great, great ageing potential. So beautifully fresh and mineral, so firm, fresh and elegant. Great finesse and complexity, this Champagne is very long and full of tension and finesse.
robert_parker
2007
Rating:
92
–92
The 2007 Coeur de Cuvée Premier Cru Brut was disgorged in May 2014 and offers a deep, ripe and rich bouquet with hazelnut, and some ginger and floral flavors. Rich and creamy on the palate, this is a round, very elegant and firmly structured Champagne; it has good grip and fruit intensity in the finish. Although, it is a bit austere in its youth right now.
vinous
2010
Rating:
95
–95
The 2010 Brut Coeur de Cuvée remains one of the great surprises of this generally uneven vintage. Rich and explosive in the glass, the 2010 possesses stunning richness and precision from the very first taste. Lemon confit, exotic flowers, spice and tropical fruits build into a dizzying crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures. What a wine! Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: January, 2017.
vinous
2010
Rating:
95
–95
One of the things I admire most about Laurent Champs is his ability to turn out not just good – but great – wines in challenging years in which other growers struggle. Vibrant, nuanced and breathtakingly beautiful, the 2010 is simply mesmerizing. A kaleidoscope of aromas, flavors and textures dazzles all the senses in a taut, vibrant Champagne that will stop readers dead in their tracks. The 2010 is every bit that good. A few years in the cellar should help the wine soften a bit, but it is incredibly beautiful today. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: February, 2017.
vinous
2010
Rating:
95
–95
The 2010 Coeur de Cuvée is marvelous. Deep, dense and powerful, the 2010 packs a serious punch. Slate, crushed rocks, white pepper, orchard fruit, mint and green pear give the 2010 its bright, vibrant personality. A hint of reduction adds freshness and complexity without being dominating. Laurent Champs nailed the vintage with this superb Coeur de Cuvée. The long, persistent finish is a thing of beauty. I can’t wait to taste the 2010 with a little more bottle age. Even today, though, it is impressive, especially within the context of a year that had its share of challenges. Disgorged January 2017. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.
vinous
1999
Rating:
93
–93
Light gold with a vigorous mousse. Exotically perfumed, complex bouquet evokes smoky pit fruits and cured meat. There's an intensely leesy, nutty character here that reminds me of a Jura wine. Broad and fleshy, offering palate-staining peach pit, honeyed pear and preserved lemon flavors. Impressively concentrated, luscious and cream Champagne with a singular personality that I love, but that some might find a bit too wild.
vinous
2012
Rating:
95
–95
The 2012 Coeur de Cuvée Brut will keep readers happy while the 2013 ages. There is plenty of energy here too, but the softer contours of the vintage lend a real feeling of sensuality that is impossible to miss. Orchard fruit, white flowers, mint, graphite, white pepper and crushed rocks abound. Disgorged: April, 2019.
vinous
2012
Rating:
96
–96
The 2012 Coeur de Cuvée is magnificent. In this vintage Laurent Champs balances the natural intensity of the year with tremendous energy and vibrancy, making for a Champagne of remarkable beauty. Like all the Vilmart wines, the 2012 Coeur de Cuvée is super-refined. Even so, it is also incredibly tight and nowhere near ready. I find its depth, power and tension absolutely compelling. Bright saline notes, spice and floral accents extend the eternal finish. The 2012 is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Disgorged: February 2019. Don't miss it!
vinous
2006
Rating:
95
–95
The 2006 Coeur de Cuvée is just starting to enter the early part of its plateau of maturity. Lemon confit, apricot, spice and lightly toasted notes give the wine much of its aromatic and flavor complexity. The 2006 was quite powerful at the outset, but over time it has become much more finessed and nuanced. I would prefer to drink it over the next decade or so. This is a terrific showing. Disgorged July 2013.
vinous
2006
Rating:
95
–95
A powerful, masculine wine, the 2006 Brut Coeur de Cuvée (Magnum) hits the palate with serious depth and overall intensity. The sheer heft of the wine is amplified by the magnum format, which really seems to bring out intensity. Graphite, smoke and licorice run through a core of dense fruit. There is a real sense of gravitas to the 2006 that is compelling. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: April 2015.
vinous
2006
Rating:
95
–95
A big, powerful wine, the 2006 Coeur de Cuvée is just starting to show the first signs of maturation in its aromas and flavors. Honey, smoke, brioche, dried pears gradually open up in the glass, but it is the wine's phenolic intensity and overall structure that are most apparent today. The deep, explosive finish is a thing of beauty. Disgorged September 2013.
vinous
2006
Rating:
95
–95
Explosive and powerful to the core, Vilmart's 2006 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is once again superb. Rich, textured flavors abound in a Champagne that impresses for its resonance and depth. The flavor profile leans very much towards the brighter, Chardonnay side of the spectrum, while the Pinot is felt in the wine's pliancy and overall depth. Readers who can find the 2006 are in for a real treat. This is a dazzling showing from Vilmart. The Coeur de Cuvée is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot from Les Blanches Voies Hautes in Rilly-la-Montagne. Disgorged May 2013. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.
vinous
2006
Rating:
94
–94
The 2006 Coeur de Cuvée wraps around the palate with striking depth and nuance. Resonant and enveloping to the core, the 2006 boasts gorgeous texture and silkiness allied to the power of the year. This is a remarkably complete, and totally harmonious Champagne from Vilmart. This bottle was disgorged in March 2013.
vinous
2006
Rating:
94
–94
Light, bright yellow. Expansive passion fruit, poached pear, honey and smoky mineral scents show excellent clarity and pick up a sexy floral nuance with air. Rich but at the same time focused and stony on the palate, offering intense orchard and pit fruit flavors and a bracing jolt of bitter orange pith. Finishes on a subtly smoky note, with strong persistence and lingering spiciness. Disgorged in May, 2013.
vinous
2011
Rating:
93
–93
The 2011 Brut Coeur de Cuvée has put on a bit of weight since I tasted it last, and that is not a bad thing at all for a year in which the wines are a bit light. Tangerine oil, marzipan, pastry, lemon confit and a touch of sweet oak give the 2011 tons of complexity. Beautifully perfumed and nuanced, the 2011 is once again positively stellar. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: March, 2018.
vinous
2011
Rating:
93
–93
The 2011 Coeur de Cuvée is gorgeous, especially within the context of the year. Translucent and airy, the 2011 is a Champagne of real elegance. Sage, mint, dried flowers, orchard fruit and lemon peel all grace this super-expressive and pretty Champagne. These 60-year-old vines handled the challenges of 2011 well. Harvest took place in August, which after 2003 and 2007, is not as freakishly unusual as it would have been a generation ago. The 2011 is undoubtedly terrific. Even so, I would not push my luck on aging given the inherent fragility of the year. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: March, 2018.
vinous
2013
Rating:
96
–96
The 2013 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is fabulous, not to mention and absolute must-buy for Vilmart fans. All of the tension of the late harvest comes through in a Champagne that dazzles with tension and energy. Bright acids drive a core of Chardonnay fruit. Citrus, white pepper, white flowers and crushed rocks abound. Readers should be in no rush to open the 2013, it"s a wine for the cellar. Disgorged: December, 2020.
vinous
2014
Rating:
94
–94
The 2014 Brut Coeur de Cuvée impresses with its density and overall energy. Apricot, baked apple tart, spice, chamomile and lightly honeyed accents all meld together. The 2014 is deep and beautifully centered, with tons of poise and impeccable balance. It's a pretty big wine by Vilmart standards, and yet all the elements are so well put together. The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Disgorged: March, 2021.
vinous
2015
Rating:
96
–96
The 2015 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is a pretty dense wine that belies its deceptively mid-weight structure. What surprises me most about the 2015 is how closed it is. In most years, especially warm years, Coeur de Cuvée is quite a bit more open and voluptuous, but the 2015 does not come across like that at all. Rather, it is super-classic in bearing, with tons of gravitas from the 60-year-old vines just waiting to emerge. There are non of the awkward herbal notes that penalize so many wines. Bright saline notes extend the finish effortlessly. The 2015 is a brilliant Coeur de Cuvée.
