Champagne Nicolas Maillart
This family-run business invites you to dive into the heart of the Premier and Grand Cru terroirs of the Montagne de Reims.
Nicolas Maillart is one of the most innovative winemakers of his generation. Since he took over the family business, he has never ceased to remodel the approach to his vineyard, whether it be to convert the vines to organic farming or to reintroduce Petit Meslier, an indigenous grape variety that has almost disappeared.
A champagne intimately linked to its terroir
The history of this family estate goes back to 1753, when the name of a winegrower from the Maillart family first appeared. Since then, the family's vocation as winemakers has not wavered and today the 9th generation is at the helm of the estate.
In 2003, Nicolas, an engineer and oenologist by training, returned to the estate, thus perpetuating an almost 300-year-old tradition.
Today, the vineyard of the House extends over 15 hectares exclusively located in the Montagne de Reims. At Nicolas Maillart, it is above all the Pinot Noir that dominates, since it alone occupies 65% of the hillsides. We also find the traditional grape varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, but also a grape variety that has become extremely rare in Champagne, Petit Meslier. It was under the impetus of Nicolas Maillart that this native Champagne grape variety made its return to the estate's vineyards. The reintroduction of this vine, which is not very productive but has unique aromas, is the result of long term work on the part of Nicolas, who was able to select the most favourable plots.
The work in the winery also benefits from special attention. All the grapes are vinified separately so that the originality of each terroir can be expressed. The search for the right maturity at harvest time, controlled yields, the origin of the grapes... allow Nicolas Maillart to produce wines with a strong identity.
The wines do not undergo malolactic fermentation, they are generally not filtered or fined and are very lightly sulphured (if at all). The wines are aged for a long time (about 9 months) in order to guarantee a greater richness. However, the work is not finished and long ageing allows Nicolas Maillart champagnes to develop a unique expressiveness.
Through the precision of his work and his constant quest for perfection, Nicolas Maillart has revealed himself to be one of the rising stars of Champagne and has no doubt not finished dazzling us with his range of terroir champagnes!