Les Maillons Blanc De Noirs Extra Brut NV

Disgorged this year after 36 months in tirage, the NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons (2018) is based on the 2018 vintage, incorporating fully 60% reserve wines from the 2017 vintage. Opening in the glass with scents of sweet mirabelle plum, honeycomb, orange oil, bee pollen and spices, it's full-bodied fleshy and seamless, with a satiny attack that segues into a vinous, enveloping mid-palate that's complemented by a fine, pillowy mousse. Concluding with a sapid, penetrating finish, 2018 was the first vintage in which Collin employed his new Coquard press, and it doesn't seem fanciful to imagine that this contributes to the notable finesse of this release. Olivier Collin continues to produce some of the most brilliant and compelling wines in contemporary Champagne, and this new set of releases is no exception. I've written extensively about Collin in the past, so rather than reprising that material here, I refer readers to my feature in the End of August 2019 Issue 244 of The Wine Advocate. Evolutions and refinements worthy of note, however, continue: the 2018 vintage was the first in which Collin was equipped with a new state-of-the-art press from Coquard, permitting even greater precision; and as of this year, he's advanced the date of tirage a touch, with a view to being able to work in a less hurried fashion, without the pressure of an imminent harvest.

Score: 97

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022 - 2035 31 August 2022