Vilmart et Cie Grande Reserve Premier Cru Brut (75cl)

A Champagne from Vilmart et Cie, made from Rilly La Montagne Premier Cru vineyards. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, with reserve wines from the previous two years added. Vinification takes place in 228-litre oak barrels, malolactic fermentation is blocked, and the wine spends a further ten months in wood. After bottling it ages for three to four years on fine lees, then receives a dosage of 9 g/L. It has a blond colour with golden highlights. The nose shows pear, cherry, ripe wheat and cookie, with iris, white pepper, oak and celery on the palate, and a mineral, long finish with smoky, toasted bread.