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.
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Champagne Yann Alexandre
We tracked this domaine, based in Courmas on the Petite Montagne de Reims, under the radar , over two years, impressed by the painstaking detail of their vineyard and cellar work and (we think!) the delicacy of their wines. Scala became the sole UK distributor, beating off some stiff competition from other UK interest. Yann […]
Champagne André Jacquart
Founded in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger on the C te des Blancs in 1958, this single estate RM moved to Vertus in 2004. Marie Doyard (founder member of the CIVC Maurice Doyard was her great grandfather) and brother Benoit then took over. Benoit and his father run the winemaking and viticulture and Marie is very much the […]
Champagne Agnès Corbon
Highly regarded by champagne specialists but rather ‘insider’ until recently, Agnès Corbon’s 3.5ha include parcels in the western Marne Valley as well as the crowning glory of 2ha of Chardonnay in Avize Grand Cru where she is based. She took over the family domaine in 2006 and has fashioned new cuves. Her hallmark is long […]