2006 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee

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.

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.

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.