Nicolas Maillart
Einer der sympathischten Winzer in der Champagne, die ich bisher kennenlernen durfte, ist NICOLAS MAILLART. Und da uns auch seine Champagner seit Jahren unheimlich gut gefallen, war es höchste Zeit die Champagner von Nicolas ins Sortiment aufzunehmen!
Seine Champagner sind kraftvoll und intensiv aber auch sehr präzise, finessenreich und voller Energie. In den letzten Jahren sind die Champagner tatsächlich noch vitaler und komplexer geworden, was unter anderem auch Gerhard Eichelmann, einer der Champagner-Spezialisten weltweit, bestätigt:
- Gerhard Eichelmann in seinem Buch „Champagne“, 2021 in englischer Sprache erschienen (übrigens ist das Buch ein MUST HAVE für Champagner Liebhaber): „Nicolas Maillart champagnes are individual, full-bodied and intense, with good concentration and weight, and are complex yet juicy. The champagnes have gained precision and expressiveness in the last few years and are now even more complex, powerful and persistent, revealing mineral notes. The non-vintage champagnes go well with appetizers and white meat, while the vintage champagnes can easily accompany a whole meal.“
- Richard Juhlin, einer der weltweit führenden Champagner-Experten aus Schweden: WINEGROWER OF THE YEAR 2021
- Richard Juhlin: "Maillart may be considered as one one of Champagnes leading growers now and if he continues like this, the 5- stars soon will be a reality."
- Peter Liem, einer der weltweit führeneden Champagner-Experten aus den USA: “Maillart’s wines are bold and full of flavor, with an expressive character and harmonious depth. I enjoyed his father’s wines in the past, made in a more traditional style, but Nicolas Maillart’s wines express more depth and more clarity of fruit, demonstrating a contemporary emphasis on viticulture.
(…) Since his arrival, Nicolas Maillart has completely reworked the estate’s entire operation, from the vineyards to the cellar. In the past Michel did not own a press, and so the grapes were pressed at the local co-operative; since 2003, Nicolas has pressed all of the grapes at the estate. He has also purchased thermo-regulated, stainless steel tanks for fermentation, although an increasing portion of the wine has been vinified in barrel, and today it's about 50 percent - the wines in barrel are fermented with indigenous yeasts, while those in tank are done with selected yeasts. Parcels are grouped together by soil type and vine age, in order to preserve their distinct characters, and while the malolactic was previously carried out, this has been discontinued.“
- Robert Parkers WINE ADVOCATE, Stephan Reinhardt: „Nicolas Maillart is the ninth generation of the 16-hectare domaine in Ecueil, which has an almost 300-year-old tradition. The family has holdings in premier cru and grand cru villages such as Bouzy, Eceuil and Villers Allerand (Montagne de Reims). The vineyards contain a high proportion of Pinot Noir (75%) together with Chardonnay and, for three years now, also Petit Meslier. Maillart also cultivates an old family plot of non-grafted Pinot Noir that was re-planted in 1973 with mass selections from the pre-phylloxera era. Les Francs de Pied is just produced in outstanding vintages such as 2012. It's the highlight of the range I tasted from Nicolas and absolutely worth a try! Sustainable viticulture and plowing the soils are benchmarks at the domaine. Vinification and maturing are carried out either in vats or in barrels, depending on the source of the grapes. Also the reserve wines are partly matured in barrels to increase their complexity. The annual production is 130,000 bottles.“
- TOM HEWSON auf Instagram: „2018s are broad, saturated and food-friendly champagnes - favourites the Les Loges BdN and Mont Martin for complexity and balance. Looking forward to a visit soon.“
Champagnerhaus: Nicolas Maillart
Menschen/Inhaber: Nicolas Maillart
Region/Ort: Champagne, Ecueil
