2004 Vilmart Grand Cellier d'Or

Warm, toasty aromatics emerge from the 2004 Brut Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or. This is a seriously young wine that will require quite a bit of patience, but it already shows fabulous depth and a sublime, enveloping finish. The 2004 Grand Cellier d'Or is 80% Chardonnay from Les Blanches Voies and 20% Pinot Noir from Les Blanches Voies and Basses Greves, bottled with 9 grams of dosage. This is a fabulous wine from Vilmart. Disgorged December 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Proprietor Laurent Champs makes some of the most elegant, refined Champagnes readers are likely to come across. Every wine I tasted during my visit earlier this year was fabulous. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to taste any of the house’s roses for this article, but they are among my favorite wines of the entire region. Vilmart’s roses are made in small quantities and disappear virtually as soon as they hit these shores, so readers should be on the lookout for any opportunity to snap them up. All of the Champagnes are aged in oak, which plays an important part in the Vilmart signature, yet few growers are as skilled in finding the perfect balance of fruit, structure and oak. In short, I can’t say enough good things about Vilmart. Readers owe it to themselves to check out these brilliant wines. A Terry Theise Selection, imported by Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

(80% chardonnay and 20% pinot noir; disgorged December, 2009) Pale, green-tinged yellow. Smoke, nectarine and lemon curd on the nose, with a deeper licorice quality that builds with air. Supple, palate-coating orchard and pit fruit flavors possess serious energy and pick up weight in the mid-palate. Nicely blends richness and vivacity, and finishes very long, with outstanding clarity and lingering smokiness. Based on my experience, this is a baby, but it tastes awfully good right now.