Nicolas Maillart : Les Loges 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Les Loges 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs by Nicolas Maillart

Tasting notes

Colour
The wine reveals a deep golden hue with brilliant highlights, animated by fine, steady bubbles that reflect careful ageing and a very low dosage.

Nose
The nose is generous and precise, driven by notes of ripe yellow fruit (apple, peach, mirabelle plum) enhanced by a touch of vanilla and brioche. Floral and exotic nuances, evoking papaya and white peach, enrich the palette, while a chalky dimension asserts the signature of the Villers-Allerand terroir.

Palate
The attack is fresh and crisp, supported by a lively acidity that structures the whole. The palate then unfolds with amplitude, on a creamy, silky texture in which ripe fruit mingles with pastry notes. The long, saline finish closes the tasting on a mineral backbone and a slight, noble bitterness that prolongs the sensation of freshness.

Food and wine pairing

This Blanc de Noirs can be enjoyed as an aperitif as well as with more elaborate dishes. Its structure and creamy texture pair well with raw fish or shellfish, where its salinity echoes the iodine notes of seafood. It also matches white meats in delicate cream and mushroom sauces, as well as hard cooked-curd cheeses such as aged Comté, whose notes of dried fruit and hazelnut play off the vanilla and brioche of the wine.

Serving and cellaring

Les Loges Nicolas Maillart is best served chilled, at around 10 to 12°C, in order to fully reveal its vinous structure without dulling its freshness.

A structured, saline Blanc de Noirs, an expression of Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims by Nicolas Maillart

The estate

Champagne Nicolas Maillart is a family-run house founded in 1753 in Ecueil, on the Montagne de Reims, whose winegrowing history goes back several centuries earlier. The estate, now run by Nicolas Maillart, representing the ninth generation, cultivates exclusively parcels classified Premier Cru and Grand Cru. The house stands out for its parcel-by-parcel approach, its barrel vinification and its strong environmental commitment, reflected in its dual certification for High Environmental Value and sustainable viticulture.

The vineyard

This wine comes from the Les Loges parcel, located in Villers-Allerand, a village classified Champagne 1er Cru on the Montagne de Reims. Facing mainly north, the vines grow on marl-limestone soils, rich in Thanetian marls, which give the Pinot Noir slow ripening and pronounced mineral tension. The vineyard is farmed using massal selection and worked by hand, respecting the natural balance of the soil and the plant.

Vinification and ageing

Les Loges 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs by Nicolas Maillart is vinified entirely in 228-litre oak barrels, with spontaneous fermentation carried out using indigenous yeasts. The cuvée is then aged on fine lees, without filtration or fining, which gives it a full texture and marked aromatic complexity.

Grape variety

This cuvée is made from 100% Pinot Noir, sourced exclusively from the Les Loges parcel in Villers-Allerand.