Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book: Champagne grower to look out for in 2017 (& 18, 2019 and 2020!): Nicolas Maillart. Rising star Nicolas Maillart is technically a nègociant (NM) house not a grower, but buys only grapes from his family, and cultivates all the domaine himself. Experienced in Oregon, S Africa and Burgundy, Nicolas is quietly buzzing with creativity, coaxing the best grapes and wine. Replanting is massal selection, selected cuttings from the estate, not bought-in clones. Quite a far flung domaine, 18.5ha in total, based in Ecueil but in Bouzy and Villers-Allerand too. An emphasis on sustainability and certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale). Clever winemaking with stainless steel and oak and control of malolactic. Barrels come from the Bize-Leroy Domaine d Auveney in Burgundy. Production about 150,000 bottles and no fruit sold to houses. Founding member of the Artisans de Champagne group. We are delighted to be showing two new single vineyard releases: a 100% Meunier 2015 and a new wine from Bouzy.
Suggested Producers
Champagne Marie Courtin
At long last after visits and discussion over time forming a friendship, we have been granted a precious allocation of this internationally-coveted micro producer in the Aube. Dominique Moreau cultivates just a 2,5ha contiguous parcel of lieu-dit ‘Tremble’ in the village of Polisot, in the southern Aube, near Les Riceys. The estate is named after […]
Champagne La Villesenière
The La Villesenière champagne range is a barrel-fermented clutch of cuvées made under a separate brand by Champagne Claude Michez in the Marne at Boursault, west of Epernay. Cyril and Laurence seem to have remarkable feel for the skills of barrel fermentation and management and word is spreading to Paris restaurants and some European exports. […]