Nicolas Maillart : Les Courzy 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs 2020

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Courzy 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs 2020 by Nicolas Maillart

Tasting notes

Colour
This Champagne reveals a brilliant golden yellow hue, enlivened by a ribbon of fine, persistent bubbles, the sign of a harmonious second fermentation.

Nose
The nose is particularly expressive, unveiling notes of citrus and white flowers, together with touches of fresh herbs and a subtle hint of spice from the time spent in oak.

Palate
The palate is straight and taut, driven by great freshness and a slightly oaky texture. The wine ends on a saline, lingering finish, a faithful reflection of its clay-limestone terroir.

Food and Wine Pairing

This Champagne is ideally paired with oysters, shellfish and other raw fish preparations, whose briny character it enhances. It also goes well with grilled fish brightened with fresh herbs and citrus, as well as with young, lightly salted hard cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring

This Champagne is served at a temperature between 9 and 10°C, ideally in a tulip-shaped glass that allows its aromas to be fully revealed. It can be enjoyed now and will keep until around 2028.

Les Courzy, a single-plot Petit Meslier cuvée from the Montagne de Reims by Nicolas Maillart

The Estate

Founded in 1753 in Écueil, on the Montagne de Reims, the family estate Nicolas Maillart is now run by Nicolas Maillart, an engineer and oenologist who represents the ninth generation. The vineyard, covering approximately 8.5 to 9 hectares, lies exclusively on Premier Cru and Grand Cru terroirs in Écueil, Villers-Allerand and Bouzy. Certified Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3, the estate stands out for its precise plot-by-plot approach and its use of massal selection.

The Vineyard

This cuvée comes from the lieu-dit Les Courzy, a Premier Cru of Villers-Allerand, on the Montagne de Reims. The plot, planted in 2015 with massal selection over an area of 0.84 hectare, rests on marl and clay-limestone soils set on shallow chalk, which favour the mineral, saline expression of this essential Champagne reference.

Vinification and Ageing

This Blanc de Blancs Champagne is vinified entirely in oak barrels, with spontaneous fermentation. It is aged for eight months on fine lees, without malolactic fermentation, fining or filtration, thus preserving the natural tension of the grape.

Grape Variety

This cuvée is made from 100% Petit Meslier, an ancient and extremely rare white grape variety in Champagne, now almost vanished from the Champagne vineyards but preserved here as a testament to historic savoir-faire.