Mailly Grand Cru: Nine historic Cuvees, all based upon Grand Cru Pinot Noir

Winegrowers’ portraits Mailly Champagne

Mailly Grand Cru

Nine historic Cuvees,
all based upon Grand Cru Pinot Noir

Charming and seductive, that is Pinot Noir!
Its reputation is constantly growing amongst knowledgeable consumers; along with an increase
in the area it is planted. In 2012 this variety covered 88,000 hectares across the world, 33,000 in France, with 13,000 of these in Champagne. The Montagne de Reims is its kingdom, the village of Mailly Champagne (240ha) one of its princedoms, classified 100% Grand Cru.

La Société de Producteurs de Mailly Champagne, (organised as a co-operative) uses the name of the village as its brand name, producing nine cuvees, all Grand Cru Pinot Noir including the top cuveeLes Echansons 2002, a new vintage released to the world at Vinexpo-Bordeaux.
Mailly Grand Cru achieves its range and style by drawing out the personality from the grapes taken from right across this Grand Cru. “If the challenge is easy when one makes 50,000 bottles, it is a different matter when one sells ten times that amount”, explains the Director Jean-François Préau.
La Société de Producteurs de Mailly Champagne was created in 1929 by 20 growers, who at this difficult time in the history of champagne built a winery and press house on the edge of the village and dug out galleries for the ageing some 20m high and 1km long.


Le nouveau chef de cave de Mailly Grand Cru, Sébastien Montcuit, dans le chai à barriques.

In 2013 there are now 81 growers covering 70 hectares of the village, on slopes with a mainly northerly aspect. With the passing of time, the winery has been upgraded and brought up to date. Amongst the recent investments there is a cellar with new stainless steel tanks of varying sizes (20-40-80 hectolitres) allowing vinification parcel by parcel. There is a barrel cellar with over one hundred barrels from Burgundy and Bordeaux for ageing some 7% of the production to add complexity and character to the champagnes of Mailly Grand Cru. And in 2012 a new cellar was opened, operating on three levels, two of which are underground.

Jean-François Préau in the cellars dug at 20 meters underground by the wine growers.

Mailly Grand Cru is a niche Champagne which (because of the constraints of working within the village) will never produce more than 600,000 bottles per year. Sales are split today equally between France and export markets. The range comprises nine single cuvees, all Grand Cru Pinot Noir. The Brut Réserve reflects the plantings throughout the village (75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay), across a blend of some 480 parcels. Reserve wines are used from ten different years and also a tiny proportion of wines aged in barrel. Quality has always been the aim of the enterprise. Mailly Grand Cru interests sommeliers because it offers many variations. The Champagne Extra Brut has the same blend as the Brut, created in the 1950’s at the suggestion of Mailly’s Swiss importer. They thought of making a zero dosage style using this blend. It required the winemaker to be certain the wines would age elegantly. It rested for five years in the cellars before seeing the light of day and then emerged with elegance.
Another successful cuvee is the Blanc de Noirs, whose rich fruits work well with traditional French cuisine particularly those dishes using cream. It was created twenty two years ago, the CIVC* uses it regularly and it is more mainstream than the Extra Brut.
Also in the range a Brut Rosé, made using the saignée method, where the demand has doubled in the last ten years and which today represents around 10% of sales and L’intemporelle Rosé, blended with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay using 3% of the red wine of Mailly; this is a Prestige Cuvee made in tiny quantities.
Finally, launched at Vinexpo 2013Les Echansons vintage 2002a Prestige Cuvee celebrating fifty years, each bottle is numbered and production totalled only 6,862, this is a Champagne with precision and richness, presented in a special dark green bottle to be best appreciated with a winter meal.“A Champagne which expresses all the qualities of the vineyards of Mailly Grand Cru”,succinctly commented Jean-François Préau.

*Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne

Marie-Caroline Bourrellis



Champagne Mailly Grand Cru
28, rue de la Libération - 51500 Mailly Champagne - France
Tél. : +33 (0) 326 494 110
www.champagne-mailly.com