Nicolas Maillart "Platine" Brut Champagne

With 70% of this champagne being barrel-fermented and over 4 years of aging on the lees, Nicolas Maillart "Platine" Brut Champagne certainly has depth, power, and a beautiful creamy bead. But it surprises me every time with how simultaneously light on its feet it manages to be. This bottle has a delicate nose of lime zest, honeysuckle, and saline minerality, and plenty of crisp, lemony acidity. On the palate, flavors of Rainier cherry and ripe citrus mingle with toasted sourdough, and it finishes crisp and clean, with the perfect accent of chalk. Few bottles we carry deliver this much complexity at such a reasonable price.

This is a really wonderful new producer that we have added to our small estate lineup.This latest release (2015 base wine...750 ml bottles only) is slightly richer than the previous release, which was a 2014 base wine. It is composed of 63% pinot noir, 23% chardonnay and 14% pinot meunier. I had the opportunity to taste this at the winery in late February of this year...a million years ago. There is increased aging in the barrel which results in a richer, rounder style at the forefront of the palate. However, it comes across as dry, with bright green and yellow apple fruit and tangy baking spice notes. Background flavors of cream and honey. Surprisingly clean, thanks to the low dosage, and a total surprise. Refreshing and delicious! About 100,000 bottles produced. I've enjoyed so many wines from this estate, that it is hard to keep track. ALL of them are excellent and I've been buying both .750 ml and magnum bottling's. I wish they would make a least one dog so that I'd save some $! A wonderful addition to our small-estate line. (Updated 22 July, 2020).