Wine Critic
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Vazart-Coquart & Fils Grand Bouquet Blanc de Blancs Brut 2017
Grand Bouquet 2017 is a vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne from Vazart-Coquart & Fils, made exclusively from Chardonnay grown in the Grand Cru village of Chouilly. Sourced from the Mont Aigu and La Cerisière parcels, it combines expressive floral aromas, dried-fruit complexity and citrus freshness with a creamy texture and a long, persistent finish. Stainless-steel vinification preserves the clarity of the fruit and the definition of its Côte des Blancs origins.
Technical Details
-
Producer: Champagne Vazart-Coquart & Fils
-
Producer location: Chouilly, Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France
-
Wine: Grand Bouquet Blanc de Blancs
-
Appellation: Champagne AOC
-
Vineyard classification: Grand Cru
-
Vintage: 2017
-
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay
-
Vineyard origin: Chouilly Grand Cru
-
Parcels: Mont Aigu and La Cerisière
-
Vine age: Approximately 43 years
-
Vinification and base-wine ageing: Stainless-steel vats
-
Malolactic fermentation: Partial
-
Dosage: 2 g/l
-
Alcohol: 12%
-
Bottle size: 750 ml
The Producer
Vazart-Coquart & Fils is a grower Champagne estate based in Chouilly, a Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs. Chardonnay is central to its identity, and Grand Bouquet presents a vintage-specific expression of this celebrated terroir.
The cuvée brings together two established parcels, Mont Aigu and La Cerisière. Their mature vines provide the foundation for a Champagne that balances fruit generosity with freshness, allowing both the vineyard origin and the individual harvest to shape its character.
Vineyard and Terroir
Grand Bouquet 2017 comes from Chardonnay vines approximately 43 years old, planted in the Grand Cru terroir of Chouilly. The village’s chalk-rich soils form the setting for a wine defined by elegance, precision and freshness.
The combination of Mont Aigu and La Cerisière gives the cuvée a focused identity within the Côte des Blancs. Rather than blending across several villages, Grand Bouquet concentrates on Chouilly, expressing its Chardonnay through ripe fruit, a rounded texture and a lively, mineral-accented profile.
The 2017 Expression
The 2017 Grand Bouquet offers a generous aromatic register without losing definition. Exotic flowers, spices and dried fruit bring breadth to the bouquet, while citrus notes provide lift. Its creamy, fruit-driven palate is supported by incisive freshness, creating a vintage Champagne with both richness and energy.
This balance is central to the wine’s appeal: the fruit feels expressive and developed, but the finish remains lively rather than heavy.
Winemaking and Ageing
The Chardonnay is vinified and the base wine aged in stainless-steel vats, preserving freshness and avoiding a pronounced barrel-derived flavour. Partial malolactic fermentation contributes to the balance between a supple mouthfeel and an energetic acid structure.
A restrained dosage of 2 g/l keeps the finish dry and clearly defined, allowing the fruit, texture and terroir to remain at the forefront.
Tasting Profile
Grand Bouquet 2017 displays a deep golden colour animated by fine, lively bubbles. The bouquet is expressive and voluptuous, revealing exotic flowers, spices, dried fruit and a touch of citrus.
The palate is creamy and fruity, with a generous texture held in balance by incisive freshness. Lively acidity carries the flavours into a long, persistent finish, giving the wine an appealing combination of breadth and precision.
-
Aroma and flavour: Exotic flowers, dried fruit, citrus and spice.
-
Texture: Creamy and fruit-driven, with fine, lively bubbles.
-
Structure: Fresh and energetic, balancing richness with definition.
-
Finish: Long, persistent and refreshing.
Serving
As a serving recommendation, begin at approximately 9–11°C in a tulip-shaped Champagne glass or a medium-sized white-wine glass. This gives the wine’s floral, spicy and dried-fruit aromas space to develop while retaining freshness.
Pour directly and let the Champagne open gradually in the glass. Its expressive bouquet and creamy texture make it well suited to unhurried drinking, both as an aperitif and alongside a meal.
Food Pairing
The combination of citrus freshness, creamy texture and developed fruit suggests dishes with delicate flavour and moderate richness:
-
Seared scallops with a light butter sauce.
-
Lobster or langoustines with restrained citrus seasoning.
-
Sole or turbot with beurre blanc.
-
Roast chicken with a light cream sauce.
-
Mushroom risotto.
-
Gougères or lightly aged Comté.
These pairing recommendations emphasize the wine’s balance: fresh acidity complements richer textures, while the floral and dried-fruit notes remain clear alongside gently seasoned food.
Collector Note
Grand Bouquet 2017 offers a clearly defined expression of vintage Chardonnay from Chouilly Grand Cru. Its identity rests on two mature-vine parcels, stainless-steel vinification and a restrained dosage, producing a Champagne that combines generous aromatics with a fresh, persistent finish.
For a Champagne collection, it provides a distinctive single-village counterpart to broader Côte des Blancs blends—a wine centred on the character of Chouilly and the expression of the 2017 harvest.