Nicolas Maillart Champagne Platine 1er Cru Extra Brut Blanc

Critic Stephan Reinhardt (whose recommendations can be read in The Wine Advocate) might be one of the people who has tasted and knows the most about French wines. Any of his recommendations should be taken seriously, and even more so when he tells us not to miss a particular wine. One of these must-have recommendations is this: Nicolas Maillart Champagne Platine 1.er Cru Extra Brut Blanc.

To get a better understanding of Reinhardt’s recommendation, and the whole story behind this sparkling wine, we have to start by talking about Nicolas Maillart, creator of this marvel, who is the ninth generation of a family of winegrowers who have been making sparkling wines since the 18th century in northwest France, in the A.O.C. Champagne, right in the Montagne de Reims area. These 300 years have allowed the family to understand the area’s best soils and orientations, masterfully handling the premier and grands crus here where they mainly grow Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Petit Meslier. This latter variety in particular is a very rare grape that is typical of northern France and is now hardly cultivated. But Nicolas Maillart has set out to recover it. To do this, he uses sustainable viticulture, manual labour and ploughing in the 16 hectares of vineyards.

The grapes are harvested early in the morning to stop them losing quality as they are taken to the winery. The clusters also receive special attention here, as each variety is vinified separately, in a very gentle and careful manner, trying to maintain all the richness and qualities during fermentation. After this first phase, and after adding the liqueur de tirage, Nicolas Maillart Champagne Platine 1.er Cru Extra Brut Blanc undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle and a 3-year aging on the lees.

This entire process, from the vineyard to bottling, is scrupulously taken care of, always striving for perfection. This is the only way quality can truly shine out from every bottle of Nicolas Maillart Champagne Platine 1.er Cru Extra Brut Blanc that is opened.