Nicolas Maillart Brut Platine 1er Cru NV
“Today we are talking about grower Champagne so listen up, ’cause this shit is going to revolutionise sparkling. These wines are complex, delicious and very expressive of where they’re from.” – Emma, Wine Dealer.
Profile
“Here we’re actually looking at Nicolas Maillart. Or Male-art. Google him, seriously, he’s delicious-lookin’ too. So things you might see is a little bit of that brioche, biscuity character. Apple, blossom, honeyed characters and a little bit of a toasty note as well. Instead of using it as celebration wine, it has got such guts and such finesse and interest that you can actually have this throughout a meal. So think about perhaps some seared scallops.”
“You can just tell that there has been so much love and care that has gone into this glass.If you want to be a hero at your next dinner party, get yo’self a bottle”
Nicolas is ninth generation Maillart, and maintains the family philosophy of biodiversity and minimal input vineyard practices, almost organic.
Reviews
Decanter Magazine
“Blind tasted by Michael Edwards, Simon Field MW and Tim Hall (at Decanter's July 2017 Grower Champagne Panel Tasting, 01 Mar 2017). Michael Edwards: Opulent and finessed. Simon Field MW: Fulsome colour and temperamentally big-boned , this is an impressive example. The six grams of residual sugar finely knit into a texture of ripe, red-berried fruit. The finish has an ethereal poise, brought down to earth by just a hint of spice. Tim Hall: Immediately vital in the mouth. Very chewy and demanding, a serious champagne but pretty exciting. Citrus character but with complex fruit and a pretty lingering finish. I like this! Drinking Window 2017 - 2026”
It’s cool, we get it, you want to know absolutely everything about this wine. Well here you go, go nuts.
Specs
- Region
- Champagne
- Vintage
- NV
- Cellaring
- 2026
- Preservatives
- ―
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 12.5%
- Closure
- Cork
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- 66% Pinot Noir, 18% Chardonnay, 16% Pinot Meunier
- Serving Temp.
- 10.0°C
Winemaking
Viticulture
Vinification and maturing Slow, gentle pressing using gravity-flow techniques. Vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and a period in the barrel for a certain volume of reserve wines. Average two-year maturing period in the bottle. Disgorged by hand and laid down for at least three months before sale.
Region
Champagne
Champagne is not generic sparkling wine, it's a region. There I said it. Get it right people. The reason the French get their lingerie in a twizzle when we call Trilogy 'Champoyne' is the history, the money and the angst that have all gone into making Champagne what it is today: a bureaucratic, strictly controlled, marketing-driven behemoth, that still manages to pump out some of the world's finest and most consistent wines. Adding bubbles to wine was a masterstroke of genius, and makes wine from marginal regions not only palatable, but unique and eminently desirable. But it's the way the grapes are grown, the land they're grown in, and the way the bubbles are generated that makes traditional method sparkling (which all Champagne is) special. There will always be alternatives, but none have the history and marketing power of the luxury Champagne powerhouses. You're not buying wine; you're buying a brand name. And that's ok.
The rules are there ain’t no rules, but here are some foods we think will work pretty well with this wine...
Goes with
Lobster mornay
Ingredients
- 2 (about 1.8kg) cooked whole lobsters, halved lengthways, cleaned
- 50g butter
- 40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
- 80ml (1/3 cup) dry white wine
- 410ml (1 2/3 cups) warm milk
- 40g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated cheddar
- Salt & ground white pepper
- 2 tbs finely chopped fresh chives
Directions
- Remove meat from lobster shells. Coarsely chop and set aside until required. Place the lobster shells, cut-side up, in a large roasting pan. Preheat grill on high.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a flat-edged wooden spoon, for 1-2 minutes or until mixture bubbles and begins to come away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat.
- Gradually add the wine, whisking constantly with a wire balloon whisk until mixture is smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until smooth and combined. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 3-4 minutes or until sauce boils, thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Add the cheese and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives and lobster meat.
- Spoon lobster mixture evenly among shells. Cook under preheated grill, about 6cm from the heat source, for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat.
- Divide lobster among serving plates and serve immediately with mixed green salad leaves.
The wines we remember are about the moments. The people, the places. That’s life. Here are some ideas...
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