Reviews

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

Strikingly better on Day 2. More depth and a broader flavor expansion. So, either hold for a few more years or give it plenty of air so it can fan out and deepen.

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

Give this air. It is a billion times more elevated when it can stretch its legs a bit. Perhaps even a decant if you can keep it cold. The 2012 is still the one to beat, but this 2014 isn't anything…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Mont Martin

Pours a salmon hue, resembling a Rosé in the glass. Somewhat aggressive bubbles, with no aromas in the nose at all. At first, this is notably bitter and extremely linear on the palate. (This needs…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

In a great spot right now. Fresh and succulent. This can age and develop tertiary flavors of course, but why wait?!

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Grand Cru Jolivettes

A more needly showing than the previous bottle just a few months ago, with any complexity or breadth held at bay by the sharp and edgy stone/chalk and twiggy? elements firing off behind the foxhole…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Les Loges

This became the house Champagne for the night. A solid performer and a serious ground pounder for those who are into just gettin' yer party on. Just don't serve it next to a 2013 Cristal. That can be…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

A Champagne that will need a few years to fill out, the 2015 Les Coupes is still in a bit of its primary mode, especially when compared to the 2012. This version offers an affable entry and notably…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

After digging into my recent arrivals of Maillart Champagne, I decided to try the 2017 Jolivettes, 2017 Mont Martin, and 2014 Chaillots Gillis. Punchline: Anyone who is holding these bottles should…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Grand Cru Jolivettes

After digging into my recent arrivals of Maillart Champagne, I decided to try the 2017 Jolivettes, 2017 Mont Martin, and 2014 Chaillots Gillis. Punchline: Anyone who is holding these bottles should…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Mont Martin

After digging into my recent arrivals of Maillart Champagne, I decided to try the 2017 Jolivettes, 2017 Mont Martin, and 2014 Chaillots Gillis. Punchline: Anyone who is holding these bottles should…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

At The Shota SF. A perfect pairing for the 15+ courses of sashimi, nigiri, and other modern creative/hybrid omakase menu dishes. The cut and acidity are allowed to show in tandem with the food due to…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

This particular bottle took some time to open up. After an hour or two of slow O2 and then allowing it to open up in the glass without getting too warm, the color and palate became deeper and…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

Coming into a prime drinking window now. In fact, I'll likely be drinking these sooner than later. Perfectly balanced and flavor-giving all the way around. Previous notes apply otherwise.

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Les Loges

Similar to my note in February 2021. Pours a translucent light salmon color, with super food-friendly/complimentary flavors that highlight light mousse-injected yellow and orange citrus juice, cherry…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

Though I do get how a more purist palate might find the wood treatment here to make for a more lush and sumptuous mouthfeel, I do find this to be a superbly executed BdB with enough requisite acidity…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Grand Cru Jolivettes

After an initial blast of bubbles that swarmed around the core fruit and almost completely disabling flavor expansion, this Jolivettes finally calmed down in the glass once it was allowed to get some…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Mont Martin

A steelier showing this time around. It either didn't like the stemware it was crowded in, which disabled it from spreading its wings and offering up the depth I've come accustomed to enjoying from…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Platine

A more improved bottle from my last note. More complexity here, with the speed and lift most notable for a base model Champagne, rolling out the red apple flesh, oyster shell, and bruised lemon…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

This bottle was even better than the previous one from last year. Perfect delineation of flavor and precise focus. A straight-line bead of effervescence lets the beautifully layered and exacting…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Montchenot

2016 base with 20% reserve. 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier. Disgorged 09/2020. 4g/L dosage.

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Les Loges

Disgorged 11/2020. 2018 base. 100% Pinot Noir. 0g/L dosage.

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Grand Cru Jolivettes

Pouring a translucent light salmon color (akin to a light colored Rosé), Maillart's 2016 Jolivettes quickly goes from spritely and radiant on the initial attack to a deeper-pitched down shift at the…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Mont Martin

From premier cru vines planted in 1972, the Nicolas Maillart 2016 Mont Martin is an extraordinary 100% Pinot Meunier Extra Brut that immediately impresses for its classy and harmonious flavor-display…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

Disgorged 02/2020. 100% Chardonnay. 0g/L dosage. From two old vine parcels planted in 1963.

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

Disgorged 04/2018. 100% Pinot Noir. 0g/L dosage. From 1er Cru vines planted in 1973.