04 Oct 2022

We are about to make another shipment from Champagne Mailly, with the wines arriving in time for pre-Christmas delivery.  Serendipitously, the 2018 'L'Intemporelle' vintage rosé has just received a superb score from a well-known wine publication, putting it ahead of some of the greatest names in vintage rosé, despite being half the price!  The results won't be public for a few weeks yet, but, as we are the sole UK importer at present, this is your opportunity to lay your hands on some.

Mailly's tremendous quality begins with its vineyards, which are entirely grand cru-rated.  The 70 hectares of vines are farmed by 80 growers, so the average holding is less than a hectare.  Most growers have day jobs, so tending their vines with great care is a passion, resulting in high-quality fruit.  With the vines on mostly north-facing slopes, Mailly's wines exhibit a mineral, saline character and are full of freshness and energy, in contrast to the more oxidative style favoured by houses like Bollinger.

We have just re-tasted the range here in the office and once again, the overwhelming impression is of exceptional fruit quality.  Even in the older wines, our notes mention less about character derived from lees-ageing (brioche, biscuits etc) and more about perfect, ripe fruit with remarkable freshness.  

  Since we last offered the wines, James Suckling has endorsed the Brut and Blanc de Noirs with 94 & 93 points respectively.  2018 L'Intemporelle rosé is from fruit from the very best selected parcels, with old-vine pinot noir added. Very vinous and with great depth on the palate, we think you will kick yourself if you don't try it, it's an exceptional wine.  For us, the Extra Brut vintage had a superb, smoky intensity and finesse on the palate, equal to many vintages at twice the price and a great wine to pair with food. 

The pinot noir-dominated 2012 'Les Echansons' is only made in the best years, with just 1500 cases made in this vintage.  Historically, and also rather topically, 'echanson' was the name given to the officer in charge of the king's wines and Mailly use it here to denote their most rarified cuvée.  Pure, exotic fruits on the nose (we found passion fruit, but Suckling describes it as Canteloupe) and fine pastry aromas are conveyed by a rich, broad palate with great length.

Finally, don't miss Mailly's Coteaux Champenois Rouge, a rare chance to try an example of still red Pinot Noir from the Champagne region.  A blend of the 2018 and 2019 vintages, it has intense raspberry and woody notes on the nose, with a saline, chalky texture.  Elegant and distinctive, this expression of Pinot Noir could only come from here and it reminds us of a more accessible version of Bollinger's La Côte aux Enfants rouge.

If you are a fan of large or small formats, this is also your best opportunity to request halves, magnums and jeroboams of the brut non-vintage.

Please simply e-mail us if you would like to order.

 

 

Producer Profile

Champagne Mailly Grand Cru

Mailly takes its name from the village of Mailly, on the Montagne de Rheims, with entirely grand cru rated vineyards, one of only 17 out of 319 villages in Champagne which can say this.  After the First World War and the subsequent crash in champagne sales, the growers of Mailly banded together to form an association, bottling their champagne under the village name.

Today, 80 growers farm the villages 70 hectares of vines, owned by 25 families.  Mailly is tiny in size compared to the larger houses, but has more grand crus vines than most of them.  Pinot Noir is a speciality here and the Brut Reserve is composed of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay.