Vilmart & Cie

Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 | Magnum 150cl

Description

Vilmart Champagne's Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 cuvée in naked magnum is a vibrant score of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, vinified without malolactic fermentation and aged in wood. Its aromatic complexity, sharp freshness and mineral tension make this a champagne of character, racy and great elegance. A rare bottle, made for gastronomy and ageing.

How Vilmart Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 is made

Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 is a perfect illustration of the Vilmart house style: vinous, precise and uncompromising. It is vinified like a great Burgundy white wine, combining aromatic depth and crystalline balance.

The cuvée is made from :

• 80% Chardonnay: dominant, it brings freshness, minerality and vertical structure.
• 20% Pinot noir: for roundness, aromatic richness and vinosity.

Terroir

Vilmart Champagne is located in Rilly-la-Montagne, a Premier Cru village on the Montagne de Reims. The perfectly drained clay-limestone and chalk soils enable slow, even ripening. The terroir gives the grapes intense aromatic expression, and lends the wine a distinctive tension and energy.

Winemaking

The 2011 vintage was aged for 10 months in 228-liter oak barrels, without malolactic fermentation, to preserve the natural freshness of the juices. This choice reinforces the wine's structure, while developing toasty, spicy aromas. The champagne is then aged on its lees before disgorging. The dosage is imperceptible, in the spirit of Extra-Brut.

The 2011 vintage

A complex year in Champagne, 2011 demanded rigorous work in the vineyard. At Vilmart, the harvest was perfectly controlled, resulting in a cuvée that fully expresses the ripeness of the Chardonnay and the concentration of the Pinot Noir. The Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 reveals the purity of a great vintage vinified without artifice, with a natural, assertive style.

Tasting the cuvée

• Color

  The "Grand Cellier d'Or 2011" cuvée has an intense, golden-yellow color, with hints of lemon and gold. The bubbles are very fine and regular.

• Nose

  The first nose is intense, complex and refined: melted butter, candied pineapple, custard, with hints of cardamom and white pepper. This is followed by notes of dried fruit (praline, hazelnut), and a chalky mineral framework. Evolution in the glass reveals nuances of cinnamon and gingerbread.

• Palate

  Fresh, lively and intensely expressive on the palate. Marked tension, balanced by woody, spicy vinosity. The whole is dynamic, intense and precise. The finish is long, saline, with notes of grapefruit and praline.

Pairing suggestions

Aperitif bites

• 24-month Comté cheese cubes
• Scallop tartar with lemon
• Parmesan and nutmeg puff pastry

Dishes

• Free-range chicken with morel mushroom sauce
• Risotto with langoustines and orange zest
• Trout meunière with heirloom vegetables

Desserts

• Poached pear and Champagne sabayon
• Praline macaroon
• Roasted lemon tart

How to store this champagne

Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 in a bare magnum should be stored lying down in a cool (10-12°C), dark place, with no temperature variations. The absence of a box means it needs to be further protected from light. Avoid vibrations and maintain constant humidity (around 70%).

Ageing potential

This magnum, aged in wood and without malolactic fermentation, has great ageing potential. It can be enjoyed up to 2030, evolving towards elegant tertiary aromas (honey, dried fruit, sweet spices).

What's it for?

Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 is a champagne for gourmet meals, connoisseurs' dinners or grand tablées. Available as a bare magnum, it will appeal to discerning connoisseurs looking for a champagne of character, at once precise, intense and natural.

Anecdote about this cuvée

Vilmart's style is sometimes referred to as "the Meursault of Champagne", as it combines Burgundian vinification with Champagne finesse. The Grand Cellier d'Or 2011 reflects this philosophy, with a palate construction worthy of the greatest gourmet whites, and a saline tension that prolongs its nobility.