Nicolas Maillart : Les Auges 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs 2020

Characteristics and tasting notes for Les Auges 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs 2020 – Nicolas Maillart

Tasting

Appearance
This Champagne has an intense golden colour with coppery highlights and a fine, lively bead.

Nose
The bouquet is deep and elegant, with aromas of ripe red fruit and plum, lifted by notes of sweet spice, fine oak and pastry.

Palate
The palate is full, taut and mineral, striking a perfect balance between the richness of Pinot Noir and the chalky freshness of the terroir. Its tight, dense texture leads to a long finish marked by notes of black cherry, graphite and white pepper.

Food and wine pairings

This Champagne pairs beautifully with roast white meats, such as free-range poultry or guinea fowl with mushrooms, as well as with fine, firm-fleshed fish served with a well-structured sauce. Its richness and mineral tension also make it a good match for delicate red meats.

Serving and ageing

Les Auges 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs 2020 is best served at around 10 to 12°C, a temperature that allows its bouquet to express itself fully while revealing the density of its palate.

Other characteristics

This Extra Brut Champagne stands out for its very low dosage, which lets the precision and minerality of the terroir shine through with great purity of expression.

A Blanc de Noirs from the Montagne de Reims, a precise expression of the Villers-Allerand terroir

The estate

Nicolas Maillart is a family-run Champagne house based in Écueil, on the Montagne de Reims, with a winegrowing tradition dating back to 1703. Since 2003, it has been run by Nicolas Maillart, a trained oenologist and the ninth generation to work the vines, who chose to vinify his entire harvest himself. The estate farms only Premier and Grand Cru classified plots, with a strong emphasis on Pinot Noir, and is known for its environmental commitment, combining HVE Level 3 certification, sustainable viticulture and a conversion to organic farming under way since 2019.

The vineyard

Les Auges comes from a Champagne Premier Cru plot on the slopes above Villers-Allerand, a village where the Thanetian marl and limestone soils bring both density and chalky freshness. The vines are farmed organically and the soil is ploughed, as part of a holistic approach that respects the plant's natural rhythms.

Winemaking and ageing

Les Auges 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs 2020 is fully vinified in barrels, then aged for eight months on its lees without malolactic fermentation, in order to preserve the wine's natural tension. This method develops rich aromatic complexity while retaining the acidity characteristic of the terroir. The wine is not dosed and is disgorged by hand.

Grape variety

This cuvée is made from 100% Pinot Noir, sourced exclusively from the Les Auges plot in Villers-Allerand.