I’m a Grower, not a Show-er: Edition 6

Olivier Collin’s tale began recently in the region of Champagne, with his inaugural vintage being 2004. Previously, the family had sold grapes to a large producer, however Olivier leveraged his law degree, maneuvering the contract so that he could utilise the family vineyards for his own wines. His vision from the very beginning was to create wines from single parcels and a single variety. Having worked for a short while alongside Anselme Selosse – the pioneer whose drive paved the way for subsequent generations of artisanal Champagne producers to flourish – he draws inspiration through the use of barrels to add richness and complexity, without obscuring the terroirs with which he works. Les Perrières comes from a vineyard of the same name and is 100% Chardonnay. The chalk is extremely close to the surface in Les Perrières and also has black silex throughout. This combination leads to an incredible complexity within the fruit from the vine, and subsequent wines. Despite being based in the lesser-known village of Congy, Olivier’s fastidious work in both the vines and cellars has made him one of the most sought after and exciting producers in Champagne today. A current superstar well worth seeking out.

Francis Egly has for a long time sat amongst the greatest growers within Champagne, renowned for his richness, depth and vinous expressions of Champagne. Blessed with vines amongst some of the greatest villages within Champagne, including holdings in Ambonnay where most of the fruit comes from for the Brut Grand Cru, Francis embraces a rich and powerful style of Champagne. Uncommon for the region, the base wine sees 15% of new oak, with the remainder being seasoned oak. For most producers, new oak would overpower and engulf the fruit’s flavours whereas Egly’s approach towards very ripe fruit creates a balance between the intensity from both the fruit and the oak. The domaine’s style is always one of a long time on lees – the Brut Grand Cru sees over 48 months on lees, much longer than the average 18 or so months commonly seen in the region. A powerful yet balanced expression focused on complexity and much more than just the bubble from a modern legend in Champagne.

Bertrand Gautherot has been an ardent, long-time advocate of biodynamics, with a philosophy of “no chemicals, nothing synthetic, only life”. His approach in the cellars extends his fastidious and uncompromising work in the vines through minimal inputs and natural fermentation, allowing them to shine through with an absolute purity to them. Based in the Côte des Bar which is predominantly planted to Pinot Noir, the Chardonnay is primarily sourced from a vineyard called Biaunes for the Blanc d’Argile. It sees time in oak before going to bottle, with a hands-off winemaking approach so as not to mask or adulterate the fruit. The wine speaks clearly of its location, being geographically much closer to Chablis than the commonly mentioned villages of Champagne, grown on soils of Kimmeridgian clay famously found in the great sites of Chablis. Pure laser-like focus with a touch of a lightly grilled nuttiness exemplify the amazing potential for quality that the region holds.