NV Ulysse Collin Blanc de Blancs

The NV (2007) Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs rocks. It is a big, mouth-filling wine loaded with extravagant Chardonnay fruit. This is a decidedly extroverted, powerful vintage of the Blanc de Blancs, but I am quite confident the wine will settle down with further time in the bottle. Juicy peaches, mango, passion fruit and French oak wrap around the sensual, enticing finish. This is a dazzling showing from Collin. The 2007 includes 35% 2006 reserve wine. This bottle was disgorged March 1, 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. I visited Olivier Collin in early April, in the middle of what turned out be a very early bud break. The pristine, immaculately tended vineyards point to a grower absolutely obsessed with quality, which comes through in the wines as well. I tasted a number of Champagnes, including three stunning 2008s that have not yet been released. Collin is another of my very favorite growers. I never miss a chance to drink these wines. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191

100% Chardonnay, 90% of which comes from 2006, 10% from 2005. Aged in five-year-old barrels for 12 months. Disgorged in Jul 2010. Dosage 1.6 g/l. Verbena and lime leaf on the nose. Lemony with a tiny delicate bubbles and well-defined acidity. A very particular green note (fresh herbs?) and lemon peel. Quite fine and lithe. Absolutely delicious, and it kept pulling me back to the glass. Lip-smacking finish and length. (TC)

Heady liqueur sort of nose – very arresting! Some oak and lots of intense fruit – so different from the champagne norm. Another drink! Pretty good but for those of us who are used to downing champagne without much thought, this sort of wine is rather salutary. Very long. (JR)