From: Champagne, France
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vilmart & Cie. traces its history back to 1890, when it was founded by Désiré Vilmart. From the beginning, Vilmart & Cie has always been a récoltant-manipulant, making wines exclusively from estate-owned vines in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne. Their 2013 Ratafia Champenois is a fortified wine made entirely from Chardonnay grapes harvested from a Rilly-la-Montagne 1er Cru vineyard. In short, think of this drink as a wine-based baby brandy from Champagne; it is as elegant as Champagne, and not as sweet as you might think.
Tasting Notes: The velvety, round nose is fresh with mentholated notes and aromas of candied apricots. On the palate, we discover flavors of acacia, honey, and violet candy. The mouth is greedy, fresh, and elegant, with an incredible aromatic length characterized by hints of lemon and candied fruits. Toast and dark citrus fruit are perceptible on the finish, which is concentrated, slightly heady, and very aromatic.
Pairing: This Ratafia can be appreciated on its own as an aperitif, or alongside a lemon or citrus pie. We can also recommend it with cheeses such as truffled Brie or baked Camembert.
