Nicolas Maillart

Ronsures Chardonnay Grand Cru 2022 | Bottle 75cl

Description

Description & elaboration

The Ronsures Chardonnay Grand Cru 2022 cuvée from Nicolas Maillart is a Blanc de blancs champagne from the Montagne de Reims. It offers notes of roasted pineapple, fresh mango, and warm brioche. On the palate, the texture is both mineral and full-bodied, with a lingering finish. A rare bottle sourced from a single vineyard parcel.

This Blanc de blancs stands apart from the traditions of its village. Bouzy has historically produced Pinot Noir grapes destined for blending. Planting Chardonnay on this parcel underscores the geological singularity of Les Ronsures. Oak ageing further reinforces this distinctive identity.

The Terroir

The vineyard is rooted in the village of Bouzy, a Grand Cru-classified commune. The grapes come from an isolated parcel named Les Ronsures, covering an area of exactly one hectare.

The subsoil is composed of Campanian chalk, a sedimentary rock from the Upper Cretaceous period. The roots plunge deep to draw up water. The limestone absorbs the day's heat and releases it at night, encouraging even ripening of the grapes.

Nicolas Maillart carries out regular mechanical ploughing of the soils to promote natural aeration. The estate holds Haute Valeur Environnementale level three certification, complemented by the Viticulture Durable en Champagne label.

Vinification

The Chardonnay musts undergo fractional pressing. Separating the juices isolates the first press flows, the finest of all. The winery uses gravity rather than mechanical pumping, preserving the integrity of the juices.

Alcoholic fermentation takes place in oak vessels over a period of eight months. This method brings roundness and toasted complexity to the Chardonnay. Malolactic fermentation is blocked in order to retain a taut, focused profile.

The wine rests on its fine lees (deposits of dead yeast cells that enrich the texture) without racking. The second fermentation in bottle, which creates the bubbles, takes place in the underground cellars. Being 100% Chardonnay, this bottle is classified among the Blanc de blancs.

The House of Nicolas Maillart

The Maillart family has been growing vines in Champagne since 1753, with deep historical roots in the village of Écueil. Each generation refines the clonal selection of plant material, passing down an intimate knowledge of every exposure.

The estate preserves rare parcels of ungrafted vines, with no American rootstock. The Les Francs de Pied cuvée illustrates this genetic heritage and recaptures an original character that grafting had erased.

The 2022 vintage

The 2022 growing season saw summer temperatures of thirty degrees. The Champagne winter ruled out any risk of spring frost. Sunshine exceeded ten-year averages in July, and the vines received forty millimetres of rainfall in August.

This water input unlocked the ripening of the grape skins. The berries reached their technical and aromatic maturity rapidly. Sugar concentration balanced beautifully against a lively acidic backbone.

Natural acidity reached a level well suited to long cellaring. This dry climate produced a structured, rich must with a particularly promising ageing potential.

Tasting notes

• Appearance

  The colour is a bright, pale yellow. Fine, regular bubbles feed a persistent bead with delicate silvery highlights.

• Nose

  The nose opens with confidence on notes of roasted pineapple and fresh mango. With aeration, buttery and undergrowth notes emerge.

• Palate

  The attack is precise and direct, then evolves towards a mineral, full-bodied texture. The finish lingers on flavours of warm brioche.

Food pairing suggestions

Aperitif bites

• Cheese gougères
• Scallop carpaccio
• Sea bream tartare

Main courses

• Veal sweetbreads with morels
• Roast poultry
• Grilled lobster

Cheese and Desserts

• Aged Parmesan
• Matured Chaource
• Comté affiné 18 mois

The Plus de Bulles expert's verdict

Practical advice

How to store this champagne?

Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne transport. Once received, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, away from light — ideally in a cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not too dry place with a relatively stable temperature.

Ageing potential

The Ronsures Chardonnay Grand Cru 2022 from Nicolas Maillart offers a beautiful capacity for evolution, with an ageing potential of around twenty years.

• Up to 2032: the wine displays a lively tension with aromas of fresh citrus and white flowers.
• From 2033: the texture develops indulgent notes of pastry and ripe fruit.
• Around 2042: the peak reveals tertiary flavours of dried fruits, honey, and gentle spice.

Serving suggestions

Optimal serving temperature is between 10 and 11 °C. Excessive cold numbs the aromas brought out by oak ageing. Too warm, and the perception of alcohol becomes more pronounced. A closed tulip glass encourages aromatic concentration.

A wider bowl releases the fruity bouquet. A touch of oxygenation awakens the roasted notes of this cuvée.

A note about this cuvée

Planting Chardonnay on land historically dedicated to black grape varieties represents a genuine departure from tradition. The Campanian chalk imparts a distinct salinity to the berry. Isolating a single lieu-dit defines this Grand Cru champagne from Nicolas Maillart and allows for a detailed study of an isolated geological seam.

This expression recalls the tension of another Grand Cru Blanc de blancs. Ageing in old oak barrels leaves a subtle woody imprint on the wine without overshadowing the fruit.