Vilmart 2016 Premier Cru Champagne ‘Coeur de Cuvée’
Tasting Note
The Coeur de Cuvée is composed of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from 50 to 60 year old vines. The wine is matured in 228 litre oak barrels, which allow a complex, intense interaction between the wine and the wood. These two vintage champagnes require lengthy ageing to give full expression to the wine’s maturity before it is ready to be enjoyed: eight years for Coeur de Cuvée. This prestigious champagne is crafted with the finest juices, excluding the first and last run juices and using only the heart of the cuvée.
Description
With crystalline purity and more tension than any other wine in this year’s line-up, Vilmart’s 2016 Coeur de Cuvée has put up a stellar performance. Disgorged in September 2022 with a dosage of seven grams per litre, it hails from 60-year-old vines in the lieu-dit Les Blanches Voies—the same five-hectare vineyard that provides their Blanc de Blancs. Matured in 228-liter barrels ,mostly from Damy, it wafts from the glass with a deep bouquet of lemon zest, white flowers and green apple. Taut and incisive, with impressive mid-palate amplitude, racy acidity and ample chalky structuring extract, it culminates with a long, saline finish. This is an elegant Champagne that will captivate purists, offering greater precision and nuance than the 2017 vintage of this cuvée. As ever, it’s crafted from the least fruit-forward, most acid-driven press fraction—just 68%—representing the heart of the cuvée. Kristaps Karklins (Wine Advocate – May 08, 2025)
At a Glance
The Coeur de Cuvée is composed of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from 50 to 60 year old vines. The wine is matured in 228 litre oak barrels, which allow a complex, intense interaction between the wine and the wood. These two vintage champagnes require lengthy ageing to give full expression to the wine’s maturity before it is ready to be enjoyed: eight years for Coeur de Cuvée. This prestigious champagne is crafted with the finest juices, excluding the first and last run juices and using only the heart of the cuvée.
