Vazart-Coquart & Fils Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Reserve NV

Vazart-Coquart & Fils Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Reserve NV

Vazart-Coquart & Fils Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Réserve NV is a Chardonnay Champagne sourced exclusively from Chouilly, a Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs. Combining fresh base wine with the estate’s Réserve Perpétuelle, established in 1982, it brings together citrus brightness, white-fruit generosity and the layered complexity of mature reserve wines. Temperature-controlled stainless-steel vinification and partial malolactic fermentation shape a style that is supple, finely textured and mineral on the finish.

Critic tasting notes: 

"Pie crust, croissant, salted butter and apricot on the nose, with hints of wild rice, too. It’s creamy and silky on the palate with soft bubbles and a mineral finish. 100% chardonnay. Disgorged in 2023. Dosage 5.5g/L. Drink now." - James Suckling

"The Chardonnay in this Champagne comes from this Grand Cru village on the Côte des Blancs. The attractive bottle age maintains an edge of minerality and citrus acidity. It is ready to drink." - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

Technical Details

• Producer: Champagne Vazart-Coquart & Fils

• Producer location: Chouilly, Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France

• Appellation: Champagne AOC

• Classification: Grand Cru

• Cuvée: Brut Réserve Blanc de Blancs

• Vintage: Non-vintage

• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay

• Fruit origin: Chouilly Grand Cru

• Terroir: Chalk-rich Côte des Blancs vineyards

• Vinification: Temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats

• Malolactic fermentation: Partial

• Reserve wines: Includes the estate’s Réserve Perpétuelle, established in 1982 and partially renewed each year

• Dosage: 5.5 g/l on the producer’s currently published specification; individual releases may differ

• Style: White sparkling wine, Brut

• Bottle size: 750 ml

The Producer

Vazart-Coquart & Fils is a family Champagne estate based in Chouilly, with vineyards located entirely within this Grand Cru village. Chardonnay dominates its holdings, making Blanc de Blancs central to the house’s identity. The Brut Réserve introduces the estate’s style through a balance of freshness, suppleness and aromatic complexity.

An important part of that identity is the Réserve Perpétuelle. Established in 1982, this continuously maintained reserve is partially drawn down and replenished each year. Its inclusion in the blend adds mature flavours and continuity without making the Champagne dependent on a single harvest.

Vineyard and Terroir

The Chardonnay comes from Chouilly, at the northern end of the Côte des Blancs. The village’s chalk-rich vineyards provide the setting for a Blanc de Blancs that combines citrus definition with a broader, more generous fruit profile. Descriptions of the cuvée consistently emphasize white fruit, floral notes and a chalky or saline dimension.

Unlike a single-vineyard Champagne, Brut Réserve expresses the estate’s Chouilly holdings through blending. Freshness from the principal harvest is complemented by the developed character of reserve wines, creating both an expression of place and a consistent house style.

The Blend and Reserve Wines

Brut Réserve is a non-vintage Champagne, so its base year, reserve-wine proportion and disgorgement details change between releases. The producer’s currently published description identifies a blend mainly from 2021, supported by wines from the Réserve Perpétuelle. An older documented release was based mainly on 2017.

The reserve component contributes more than richness alone. The producer’s tasting description associates almond and coffee nuances with the evolution of the reserve wines, adding a savoury, mature counterpoint to the younger Chardonnay’s fruit and floral character.

Exact base-vintage percentages, lees-ageing duration and disgorgement date should therefore be matched to the bottle or release rather than treated as fixed characteristics of every Brut Réserve.

Winemaking

Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats. This approach preserves the clarity of the Chardonnay fruit without introducing a pronounced barrel-derived character. Partial malolactic fermentation helps balance freshness with a softer, more rounded texture.

Tasting Profile

The aromatic profile combines citrus and white-fleshed fruit with delicate floral and saline notes. The producer describes verbena and lime blossom alongside white fruit, followed by almond and coffee nuances associated with the reserve wines.

Decanter highlights a richly textured, layered palate of white fruit and sugar-coated lemon. James Suckling identifies pie crust, croissant, salted butter and apricot, followed by a creamy, silky palate, soft bubbles and a mineral finish. 

• Aroma and flavour: Citrus, white fruit, apricot, verbena, lime blossom, almond, pastry and subtle coffee notes.

• Texture: Supple and creamy, with soft bubbles and a layered palate.

• Finish: Mineral and refreshing, balancing mature reserve-wine complexity with Chardonnay brightness.

Serving and Drinking

Brut Réserve is intended to give pleasure on release, and the producer identifies it specifically as an aperitif Champagne. Its combination of fresh fruit and developed reserve-wine character makes it suitable for serving without waiting for extended cellaring.

As a practical serving recommendation, begin at approximately 8–10°C and use a tulip-shaped Champagne glass or medium-sized white-wine glass. Allow it to open gradually in the glass rather than routinely decanting it, preserving the mousse while giving the pastry, floral and reserve-wine nuances room to emerge.

A precise drinking window cannot be assigned responsibly without knowing the disgorgement date and storage history. For this non-vintage cuvée, those details are more useful than a blanket long-term ageing prediction.

Food Pairing

The wine’s citrus freshness, creamy texture and pastry notes suggest pairings that balance delicacy with a little richness:

• Oysters, crab or simply prepared prawns.

• Seared scallops with a light butter sauce.

• Sole or turbot with lemon beurre blanc.

• Roast chicken with restrained cream-based accompaniments.

• Gougères or lightly aged Comté.

These are pairing recommendations based on the published tasting profile, rather than producer-prescribed matches. The balance of white fruit, pastry richness and mineral freshness is the guiding principle.

Collector Note

The defining features of this Champagne are its exclusively Chouilly Grand Cru origin, 100% Chardonnay composition and use of a Réserve Perpétuelle maintained since 1982. Together, they distinguish Brut Réserve as an estate-grown Blanc de Blancs with both immediate freshness and mature blending complexity.