Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée 2008

Barrel fermentation gives this 2008 a presence that most Champagnes from the vintage never achieve. Toasted brioche, baked quince, and a thread of woodsmoke on the nose, with a richness on the tongue that feels almost Burgundian, broad, vinous, unhurried. The oak is there but knows its place, lending weight rather than flavor. A serious Champagne, drinking well now and built to last another decade.