Ulysse Collin’s home is in the village of Congy in the Coteaux du Petit Morin, 30 kms south-west of Epernay. The business is managed by the talented head of the business Olivier Collin. The principles of singularity and expressing terroir are nowadays the signatures of his estate Olivier produces exclusively single-vineyard champagnes made from naturally farmed fruit using sustainable farming practices.
His work in the cellar is similarly straightforward, with an emphasis on minimal interference. He uses native yeasts and as little sulphur as possible (the aim is 50–65 mg/l), and the wines are topped off with minimal dosage (a maximum of 2.4 g/l) and bottled at a lower pressure than most. All of his base wines come into contact with oak and the reserve wines are aged in barrels and casks. Each cuvée is disgorged twice a year, the perfect time being mid-February, “when it is cool and there is less oxidation risk” and before “temperatures and workloads in the vineyard increase.”
96+ Points William Kelley
Collin’s NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières is complemented by fully 70% reserve wines. Wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp green orchard fruit, white flowers and wet stones that are framed by a deft patina from its élevage, it’s a full-bodied, vinous Champagne with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, concentrated mid-palate. Chalky and incisive, it concludes with a long, saline finish. As ever, this cuvée—which takes its name from the black flints that abound in the chalk in this area—is worth a special effort to seek out.
