Nicolas Maillart 'Platine' Extra Brut 1er Cru, Champagne, France NV
The Maillart family's vine-growing roots trace back to 1753 in the neighboring village of Chamery, making Nicolas Maillart's return to the family estate in 2003 — after studying engineering and oenology — the continuation of a nearly 300-year tradition. Based in Écueil on the Montagne de Reims, Nicolas farms and manages all sixteen hectares of the family's vineyards himself, working exclusively with Premier Cru and Grand Cru fruit from Écueil, Villers-Allerand, and Bouzy.
- WINEMAKER: Nicolas Maillart
- FARMING: HVE3-certified sustainable viticulture, farmed as close to organic as possible — organic fertilizer only, no herbicides, soil ploughed between the rows.
- VARIETY: 54% Pinot Noir, 26% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier
- TERROIR: Champagne AOC, Premier Cru vineyards in Écueil and Villers-Allerand blended with Grand Cru fruit from Bouzy, all on the Montagne de Reims, on chalk and clay-limestone soils. Estate vines average around 30 years old.
- VINIFICATION: Grapes are gently pressed and base wines are fermented in small oak barrels. A notably high proportion of reserve wines — typically 30–40% — is blended in, also aged in barrel, contributing to the cuvée's consistency and depth from year to year.
- AGING: Aged for 10 months in 228L oak barrels or 3000L foudre, then aged on the lees for roughly two to three years before disgorgement, bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur and a low dosage
- TASTING NOTES: Deep gold in color, with toasted brioche, hazelnut, and almond aromas alongside ripe stone fruit and pear. The palate shows white peach and orchard fruit with spice and citrus zest, carried by a creamy, persistent mousse to a graphite-tinged mineral finish.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Shellfish, roast poultry, mushroom risotto, or chicken in cream sauce.
- SCORES: 92 points, Vinous; 92 points, Wine Advocate
Nicolas Maillart 'Platine' Extra Brut 1er Cru, Champagne, France NV
The Maillart family's vine-growing roots trace back to 1753 in the neighboring village of Chamery, making Nicolas Maillart's return to the family estate in 2003 — after studying engineering and oenology — the continuation of a nearly 300-year tradition. Based in Écueil on the Montagne de Reims, Nicolas farms and manages all sixteen hectares of the family's vineyards himself, working exclusively with Premier Cru and Grand Cru fruit from Écueil, Villers-Allerand, and Bouzy.
- WINEMAKER: Nicolas Maillart
- FARMING: HVE3-certified sustainable viticulture, farmed as close to organic as possible — organic fertilizer only, no herbicides, soil ploughed between the rows.
- VARIETY: 54% Pinot Noir, 26% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier
- TERROIR: Champagne AOC, Premier Cru vineyards in Écueil and Villers-Allerand blended with Grand Cru fruit from Bouzy, all on the Montagne de Reims, on chalk and clay-limestone soils. Estate vines average around 30 years old.
- VINIFICATION: Grapes are gently pressed and base wines are fermented in small oak barrels. A notably high proportion of reserve wines — typically 30–40% — is blended in, also aged in barrel, contributing to the cuvée's consistency and depth from year to year.
- AGING: Aged for 10 months in 228L oak barrels or 3000L foudre, then aged on the lees for roughly two to three years before disgorgement, bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur and a low dosage
- TASTING NOTES: Deep gold in color, with toasted brioche, hazelnut, and almond aromas alongside ripe stone fruit and pear. The palate shows white peach and orchard fruit with spice and citrus zest, carried by a creamy, persistent mousse to a graphite-tinged mineral finish.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Shellfish, roast poultry, mushroom risotto, or chicken in cream sauce.
- SCORES: 92 points, Vinous; 92 points, Wine Advocate