Champagne Brilliance from Nicolas Maillart!

Famed importer Kermit Lynch was perfectly content with his tiny portfolio of artisan Champagne growers, until he discovered Nicolas Maillart. Kermit hadn’t added a Champagne to his collection since 2006, but when Maillart’s wines became available, Kermit acted quickly. 

Nicolas Maillart’s wines were familiar to us before Kermit scooped them up. We have adored them in the past. This latest release of “Platine” is a seductive, complex and absurdly delicious small-batch Champagne sourced from a combination of Premier and Grand Cru fruit.

This special wine is so wonderful that we award a very strong 95 points. We are pumped to bring it to you today. Check out our notes, then click the Big Green Button to quickly snag a few bottles!

Nicolas Maillart "Platine" Premier Cru Extra Brut NV
Champagne, France
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There's a wild and exciting collection of flavors here, including baked orchard and citrus fruit, honey, leesy richness and an overtly forward amount of deliciousness.

“His Champagnes are pure, elegant, terroir-transparent, stylish, and delicious! Tasting through his lineup of vins clairs is like tasting through a cellar of young wines in Burgundy, and he has figured out how to transform the magic he has in barrel into his resulting Champagnes that emerge years later.”
- Kermit Lynch

Finishing with electric minerality, this combination of Premier and Grand Cru fruit is a blend of 58% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay and 11% Meunier. As with all of his Champagnes, Nicolas raises the Platine in wood. In this specific bottling, 10 months in a combination of 228 liter barrique and 3000 liter foudre. Upon disgorgement in November 2023, he utilized a dosage of 2.5 grams per liter. Given its generous and joyous nature, you'd never guess this as an Extra Brut.

This sophisticated Champagne will appeal to old school enthusiasts - think Bollinger and Heidsieck from the early 2000s - as well as lovers of bone dry, mineral-driven grower Champagnes. Wonderful by itself or with scallops, Chinese cuisine and, of course, fried chicken!

A quick search finds five listings with a median of $70. This impressive wine is worth every penny of that price. Drink now and over the coming 5 to 7 years.

Vin Chicago Price: 65.99