2015 Ulysse Collin Le Jardin d'Ulysse Extra-Brut (2015 base - 60 months)

The 2015 Champagne Blanc de Blancs Le Jardin d’Ulysse Extra Brut is one-third each of the three grapes and was raised for 60 months on the lees. It displays the more intense color of this vintage, with a copper tinge, and leaps from the glass with aromas of apricot, matsutake, kirsch, orange rind, and honeycomb. Long and full-bodied on the palate, it has a nice balance through the mid-palate, with roundness from the Meunier, and a potent, mouthwatering finish with a spicy flourish. The northern-orientated site where this wine originates is responsible for its exceptionally even and balanced spine of acidity, which leaves a long-lasting, mouthwatering sapidity on the finish without any of the negative phenolic notes that can sometimes be found in this vintage. It’s a fantastic wine that is drinking well now and will only benefit from time. Drink 2024-2050. 2.4 grams per liter dosage. Olivier Collin is based in Coteaux du Petit Morin, in the village of Congy. In the 1930s, his grandfather was the first récoltant-manipulant in the region, bottling only from his own vineyards and not selling any grapes to négociants. Olivier’s father sold the company in 1987, and in March of 2003, Olivier and his family made the decision to reclaim a portion of the vineyards and to begin making wine. At that time, the health of the soils had deteriorated, so his first move was to purchase a tractor to improve the soil’s health, and he was able to produce his first vintage in 2004. He likes to work as naturally as possible, although he prefers to be free of the constraints of any organization for organic or biodynamic certifications. In the vineyard, he looks for high maturity in the grapes without being overripe. He strives to work in a balanced way, with natural yeasts, natural malolactic fermentations, low intervention, and sulfur addition only at the pressing prior to fermentation. The goal is to produce the best base wine possible, focusing on gastronomic importance. In the winery, he ferments entirely in barrels, most of which are used. Small levels of dosage added will vary from vintage to vintage, ranging between 0.85 grams to 4 grams per liter, depending on what the wine needs. Recent developments include increasing the aging on lees, and readers can expect to see this continue with additional cuvées in the years to come.