Champagne Vilmart & Cie’s 2017 Cœur de Cuvée Brut Premier Cru is the estate’s flagship vintage Champagne from the Premier Cru village of Rilly-la-Montagne in the Montagne de Reims. It is built on old vines—fruit from roughly 60-year-old parcels—blended at 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from the Les Blanches Voies site, and finished as a Brut with a stated dosage of 7 g/L. The wine was disgorged in early 2023 (January, per Vinous; February, per Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate), following extended time on the lees.

Professional reviews are notably strong, with two excellent 94-point scores. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) calls it “a gorgeous wine,” emphasizing its aromatic range—“candied apricot, white flowers, mint marzipan and a kiss of French oak”—and praising “gorgeous mid-palate sweetness and fabulous textural resonance,” concluding, “This is a wonderfully exotic Champagne.” Jeb Dunnuck likewise awards 94 points, describing a “shimmering medium golden yellow color” and a “deeper and more autumnal” profile, with notes that move from “honey” and “ripe croissant” to “baked apples.” On the palate, Dunnuck highlights both drive and savory detail: “bitter citrus, mouthwatering saltiness, and persistent savory length,” alongside a “fine, zesty mousse,” with oak reading as “subtly” toasty.

At 93 points, Kristaps Karklins (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) frames the wine as “a commendable achievement in what was a challenging vintage,” noting that Laurent Champs harvested “between the first and eighth of September, narrowly avoiding the rain.” Karklins finds “pear, vanilla and pastries” with “subtle spices,” and describes it as “richer and more demonstrative than the 2016,” finishing with “tangy acidity and chalky undertones.” Drink windows are generous: Dunnuck suggests 2025–2040, while Galloni sees it shining now and over the next decade.