The 2005 Vilmart et Cie “Coeur de Cuvée” is comprised of a blend of eighty percent chardonnay and twenty percent pinot noir, with all of the vins clairs fermented in oak barrels, with some percentage new. The wine is quite marked by its oak on both the nose and palate, but not overdone, and if one does not mind a bit of oakiness, then there is a lot to like here. The bouquet is a mix of apple, peach, brioche, almonds, nice soil tones and buttery oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a fine core, crisp acids, lovely mousse and a long, classy and fairly oaky finish. This wine is very well-done in its oaky style, and while the wood is very nicely handled, it is not the style of Champagne I would be reaching for with great regularity. That said, it is extremely well-made and if new oak works for you in bubbly, then this is a wine to love. 2014-2025.