The 2000 Brut Couer de Cuvee is the greatest bottling from Vilmart and represents the greatest and truest expression of the terroir, skill and family history of the estate. A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir that is fermented in barrique and then given a ridiculous six years on the lees before release, this is a profound and sublime confluence of wonderful raw materials and inherently brilliant winemaking skill. It is produced from only the "heart" of the pressed juice in which the first and last portions of the barrel are bled off to allow only the greatest elements of the wine to remain. Silky smooth, yet crisp and vibrant, this is a wine that is has every base covered yet each facet of the wine melds harmoniously with the next. The floral perfume goes on and on, the lemon curd, fresh baked bread, sweet toasty oak and chalky minerality seem to jump out of the glass before the long, complex and expressive finish really kicks into gear. This wine lingered on the palate long after swallow, yet never felt cloying or heavy. Truly a magical wine. Dom Perignon, eat your heart out!