Rilly-la-Montagne

Rilly-la-Montagne sits on north-facing slopes just south of Reims, with a substantial vineyard area split fairly evenly between Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. The village is most closely associated with Vilmart, a grower estate founded in 1890 that pioneered oak-vinified grower Champagne well before the technique became fashionable. The cult cuvée Cœur de Cuvée, made only in great vintages from old-vine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, helped establish that grower-bottled Champagne could be a category alongside the major houses. Pol Roger and Mumm hold substantial parcels here, and the village's cool exposure produces a slow-ripening Pinot that has long served as a structural component in major-house blends.