Vilmart et Cie

Désiré Vilmart established Vilmart et Cie in 1890 at a time when Champagne's growers almost universally sold their fruit to the large négociant houses rather than vinifying and bottling their own wines. The estate passed through the family across three generations before reaching Renan Vilmart, whose daughter Nicole married a vineyard worker named René Champs. That union proved transformative: René and Nicole introduced oak barrel fermentation and aging to the property, a practice considered unconventional in mid-20th century Champagne, and set the stylistic course that defines the house to this day. The decision to ferment in wood rather than stainless steel was not simply a stylistic preference but a philosophical commitment to wines of texture, complexity, and longevity, values that became the estate's identity long before oak-aged Champagne attracted critical praise.

• Founded 1890 by Désiré Vilmart in Rilly-la-Montagne, Montagne de Reims, among the earliest grower-producers in Champagne
• Oak barrel fermentation introduced by René and Nicole Champs (generation four) in the mid-20th century, considered radical at the time
• Lineage: Désiré Vilmart, then son Charles, then grandson Renan Vilmart, then Nicole Vilmart and René Champs, then Laurent Champs
• The house has operated as a Récoltant-Manipulant (grower-producer) throughout its history, never sourcing fruit from outside its own vineyards

Laurent Champs assumed leadership of the domaine in 1989 and is the figure most responsible for Vilmart's international reputation. Since taking over, he eliminated herbicides and synthetic fertilizers entirely, pursued a trio of sustainability certifications, and refined the winemaking to its current form. His son Thomas joined the winemaking team in 2020, representing the sixth generation of family stewardship, and succession planning is actively underway. A daughter, Morgane, is involved in hospitality and the brand's modernization, which has included a redesigned tasting room and updated visual identity. The estate remains tightly held within the family, produces roughly 8,500 cases per year, and maintains distribution in Michelin-starred restaurants internationally.

• Laurent Champs took leadership in 1989 and immediately ended use of herbicides and chemical fertilizers
• Thomas Champs (son, sixth generation) joined the winemaking team in 2020; Morgane Champs (daughter) leads hospitality
• Annual production is approximately 8,500 cases, keeping the house small and allocations tight
• Tasting room was renovated and the brand was visually redesigned in the early 2020s as part of a modernization initiative

Vilmart farms 11 hectares divided across 10 parcels, with 80% of holdings classified as Premier Cru in Rilly-la-Montagne and the remaining 20% in neighboring Villers-Allerand Premier Cru. The concentration of all parcels within approximately 800 meters of the winery is highly unusual for Champagne and is a key practical reason the estate can manage all vineyards organically. The crown jewel is Blanches Voies, a five-hectare south-facing parcel in Rilly-la-Montagne planted with ungrafted vines aged over 65 years, from which the Coeur de Cuvée and a new single-site Blanc de Blancs are produced. A second important site, Hautes Grèves, is southwest-facing and also located within Rilly-la-Montagne. The decision to plant 60% Chardonnay across the estate, far above the village norm of under 30%, reflects the house's stylistic orientation toward structure, precision, and aging potential.

• Blanches Voies: five hectares, south-facing, ungrafted vines 65+ years old, Rilly-la-Montagne Premier Cru
• All 10 parcels lie within 800 meters of the winery, enabling coherent organic management across the full estate
• 60% Chardonnay plantings versus a Rilly-la-Montagne village average of under 30%
• A single-site Blanc de Blancs from Blanches Voies was launched in 2020 from the 2009 vintage, with a further release expected in 2024

Vilmart's winemaking approach is among the most distinctive in Champagne. All base wines are fermented and aged in oak: large foudres ranging from 2,200 to 5,500 liters and demi-muids are used for non-vintage blends, while smaller barriques and demi-muids receive the vintage wines. Critically, malolactic fermentation is blocked across every cuvée, a decision that preserves the wines' natural acidity and counterbalances the richness the oak imparts. Lees aging ranges from 30 months for the non-vintage Grand Cellier to approximately seven years for the Coeur de Cuvée. The result is a style critics have repeatedly likened to Krug, earning the house comparisons including the label of a mini-Krug, though Vilmart's wines are rooted in Premier Cru fruit rather than Grand Cru. Manual harvest is practiced throughout.

• All wines fermented in oak: foudres (2,200-5,500L) and demi-muids for NV; barriques and demi-muids for vintage cuvées
• Malolactic fermentation is always blocked to maintain acidity alongside oak-derived richness
• Coeur de Cuvée spends 10 months in oak and approximately 7 years on lees before disgorgement
• Grand Cellier NV receives a minimum of 30 months on lees, well above the Premier Cru legal minimum of 15 months

Vilmart et Cie matters because it demonstrates what grower Champagne can achieve when a single estate combines old vines, restrained yields, organic farming, and a winemaking philosophy centered on texture and longevity. The house has consistently outperformed the conditions of its harvests: the 2011 Coeur de Cuvée, made in one of Champagne's most difficult modern vintages, was praised as among the finest wines of that year. At a time when grower Champagne has become fashionable, Vilmart is a founding reference point for the category, not a recent participant. Its wines age for 10 to 15 or more years post-disgorgement, reward patience, and carry all the hallmarks of serious, terroir-expressive sparkling wine. For students and sommeliers, Vilmart represents the case study for how oak and blocked malolactic fermentation interact at the Premier Cru level.

• Widely cited as a reference producer for oak-fermented grower Champagne alongside Krug at the Grand Cru level
• The 2011 Coeur de Cuvée was acclaimed as one of the best Champagnes of a notoriously difficult vintage
• Aging potential of 10-15+ years post-disgorgement is documented across multiple vintages and confirmed by critical reception
• Estate has operated as a grower-producer since 1890, predating the modern grower Champagne movement by decades