Champagne Extra Brut Les Maillons - Ulysse Collin

Ulysse Collin

An iconic Champagne estate

Olivier Collin makes champagne like his forefather Ulysse Collin before him, using small oak barrels. After 8 years in law school, this Burgundy wine buff decided to leave everything behind in 2003 and came back to his childhood home, in the Congy terroir (located on the hills of the Petit Morin, not far away from the famous Côte des Blancs). His family of winemakers has been working in this vineyard since 1812 and, in the 1970's, was even part of the famous "Club Trésors de Champagne" (the cream of the crop of the region's harvesters and handlers). When he arrived, Olivier found a vineyard that his father had been renting since 1987. Olivier's dad didn't want to make wine and simply sold his harvest to the local merchants.

After a few weeks of training with one of his colleagues in Avize and getting his HNC in winemaking, Olivier was determined to put the family champagne house in order. Despite a severe lack of money and equipment, he worked hard on creating his own brand. His main goal was to help reveal the incredible potential of his two favorite terroirs, the Coteaux du Petit Morin and the Coteaux du Sézannais. He meant to prove that these smaller terroirs could produce wine that could rival some of the best grand cru wines on the market. To do so, Olivier worked on a single parcel of land and a single grape variety, to produce 100% extra-brut champagne. That's why, even back then, the young man was already seen as a pioneer.

His very first wine was released in 2007, under the watchful eye of many champagne connoisseurs (who were actually quite impressed with his results!) After 20 years of patience and hard work, his wines have now become iconic. Hence why the American wine critic Robert Parker gave him a 100/100 rating, not once but twice! The Holy Grail for any winemaker and quite a feat for such a young man. Olivier only adds very little sugar to his champagnes and severely limits his yields (only 40,000 bottles per year, with 9 hectares of grapevines), as he aims for an exceptional level of quality. In the vineyard, he tills the soil himself, uses organic products for his plants, follows the moon cycles… You can see that Olivier Collin has a deep respect for nature, like a wise old farmer, but with a touch of modernity.

Discover the Ulysse Collin champagne.