Dried lemon peel, musty straw, cantaloupe rind. Bruised apple, baked cashew, crunchy under ripe nectarine. Jasmine and delicate white flowers, raw dough and buttered bread. Yellow cherry & bosc pear dunked in sour cream sitting next to fennel & whole chalk. Full, serious, and somewhat broad for Champagne exhibiting intense power and structure that fades into beautiful weightlessness. Mouthwatering acidity like high-beams shining straight through you as microscopic bubbles and a wowing parched dryness leaves your mouth feeling fresh and sparkly clean. This NV Premier Cru Extra Brut by Champagne Nicolas Maillart is a brilliant Pinot Noir based bubbly from the Montagne de Reims.

Grower/Producer Champagne is all the rage as of late - and for good reason. This bottling, crafted by Champagne Nicolas Maillart in Ecueil, is a tremendously compelling example of the value that can be found when one looks beyond the Champagne powerhouses. Created from Grand Cru & Premier Cru fruit this wine is composed of primarily Pinot Noir aided by a bit of Chardonnay. It bursts with soft yellow fruit and deliciously leesy bready nuttiness. It is simultaneously focused and expansive as Pinot flexes its ethereal and high-toned goodness. This wine is simply beautiful, and is certainly one of the more compelling bubbles we've tried in recent memory. It's really hard to find a flaw here.

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