Ulysse Collin
About Ulysse Collin
One of the most enigmatic and sought-after names in modern Champagne, Ulysse Collin is very much at the forefront of the grower-revolution across the region incomparable to any except possibly Selosse.
Olivier Collin is the mastermind behind his family estate’s rise to the very top of cult Champagne. Based on the lesser-know appellation of the Coteaux de Sezanne to the southwest of the Côte des Blancs, the Collin family has held and managed vines in the area since 1812. Still, their fruit had, until 2003, been leased out permanently to other winemakers. Olivier took the visionary decision to reclaim his first 4.5 hectares and begin crafting terroir-driven wines in 2004, after which his remaining 4.2 hectares joined a year later.
The comparisons with Selosse are particularly apt not only due to their shared status and reverence amongst collectors but also as Olivier completed an internship with the great Anselme Selosse in 2001, going a long way to explaining much of their shared philosophy.
Inspired by his mentor, each of Collin’s cuvées go through oak barrel fermentation, and he does not believe in “vintage” as understood by the other growers and Grande Marque houses. He prefers instead to meld the long-practised art of assemblage (blending) with a firm belief in the importance of site-specific terroir. Only single-vineyard wines are made under the Ulysse Collin label, with cuvée variation occurring in dosage and time on lees before disgorgement.
‘The most important thing for me is the signature of the site of a place... Vintage could be interesting to me, but it is not the most important
Olivier Collin
Naturally, each of his wines does have a vintage base upon which the wine is constructed and his extensive use of reserve wines allows these cuvées to show incredible nuance and personality. Most importantly, however, remains the signature of each plot which Collin believes possesses its own very distinct personalities.
Hailed by William Kelley (Wine Advocate) as producing wines which are ‘among the very best being produced in contemporary Champagne’ and ‘as profound as they are ambitious, this is a producer whose wines are only going to become harder and harder to acquire.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Champagne | 1 | 97+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,566.84 |
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Wine Advocate (97+)Disgorged with 1.7 grams per liter dosage after 48 months sur lattes, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2016) 48 months bursts with aromas of green apple, blanched almonds, confit citrus and pastry cream. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and this site's telltale chiseled, incisive profile; it's long and penetrating, concluding with chalky grip. With this late-disgorged version, Les Pierrières takes another step. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,797.24 |
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Wine Advocate (97)Disgorged in March 2020 with 2.4 grams per liter dosage, the NV Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons (2016) is based on the 2016 vintage, complemented by 50% reserve wines from 2015. Wafting from the glass with aromas of mirabelle plum, clear honey, toasted almonds, vanilla pod, mandarin, nutmeg and apricot, it's full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a lovely pinpoint mousse. Charming and demonstrative, it's also one of the most precise renditions of Les Maillons produced to date. At fully 18,500 bottles, this is Collin's largest cuvée. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,449.24 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (97+)Disgorged with 1.7 grams per liter dosage after 48 months sur lattes, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2016) 48 months bursts with aromas of green apple, blanched almonds, confit citrus and pastry cream. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and this site's telltale chiseled, incisive profile; it's long and penetrating, concluding with chalky grip. With this late-disgorged version, Les Pierrières takes another step. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Champagne | 1 | 97+ (WA) |
In Bond
£2,123.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (97+)Disgorged with 1.7 grams per liter dosage after 48 months sur lattes, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2016) 48 months bursts with aromas of green apple, blanched almonds, confit citrus and pastry cream. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and this site's telltale chiseled, incisive profile; it's long and penetrating, concluding with chalky grip. With this late-disgorged version, Les Pierrières takes another step. |
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|
Champagne | 1 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,315.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)Disgorged in March 2020 with 2.4 grams per liter dosage, the NV Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons (2016) is based on the 2016 vintage, complemented by 50% reserve wines from 2015. Wafting from the glass with aromas of mirabelle plum, clear honey, toasted almonds, vanilla pod, mandarin, nutmeg and apricot, it's full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a lovely pinpoint mousse. Charming and demonstrative, it's also one of the most precise renditions of Les Maillons produced to date. At fully 18,500 bottles, this is Collin's largest cuvée. |
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|
Champagne | 1 | 97+ (WA) |
In Bond
£2,025.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (97+)Disgorged with 1.7 grams per liter dosage after 48 months sur lattes, Collin's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2016) 48 months bursts with aromas of green apple, blanched almonds, confit citrus and pastry cream. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and this site's telltale chiseled, incisive profile; it's long and penetrating, concluding with chalky grip. With this late-disgorged version, Les Pierrières takes another step. |