It seems like only yesterday that the first releases of Olivier Collin took over the Champagne world, but two decades have passed since its first vinification. So we suggest going on a retrospective tasting to follow this small winery's step-by-step rise to the quality pinnacle of the region.
This tasting was dedicated to Les Pierrières. Originally labelled simply as " Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs", this was Olivier Collin's first cuvée, debuting in 2004: the name Les Pierrières, lieu-dit, was only added in the 2008 vintage.
Les Pierrières is Collin's northernmost lieu-dit, an east-facing plot six kilometres from Congy and within sight of the Côte de Blancs. The soils here are shallow and the underlying chalk is particularly rich in the black flint that is so characteristic of the Côteaux du Petit Morin which explains the area's role as a hotspot of Neolithic activity. As I've written before - and as this tasting confirmed - Les Pierrières produces Collin's most pungent, spicy Blanc de Blancs, a powerful but dense wine with a scaldingly mineral finish. The sense of energy in it is almost electric.
It was in 2003 that Collin regained control of the family vineyards, managing to break his long-term lease with Pommery by a hair's breadth. However, frost destroyed the crop and 2004 was his first vintage. As the family winery was not yet fully equipped, the 2004 Les Pierrières was pressed at the nearby Château d'Etoges winery, then vinified in used barrels without malolactic fermentation before being degorged without dosage. As Olivier jokes, "I decided to show everyone else how it was done and, of course, the result was a young wine that was almost undrinkable."
By 2006, Collin had purchased his press and created his first reserve wines, incorporating about 30 per cent into the 2007 vintage. In 2008, he bought new barrels for the first time, deciding to bottle this exceptional year as a pure vintage; but about 20% of the reserve wines came back into the equation with the base 2010 vintage, increasing to 25% with the base 2011, 35% with the base 2012, 40% with the base 2013, 50% with the base 2014, and fully 60% with the base 2015 (the youngest vintage remains the "base" vintage even if it doesn't make up the majority of the blend). Originally aged in barrels, these reserve wines are now stored in large foudres on lees, retaining more freshness. During the same period, Collin settled on a dosage of around 1.7 grams per litre and stopped discouraging malolactic fermentation, and the ageing time (sur lattes) increased from two to four years.
It's hard to say what is most impressive about Ulysse Collin. The fact that these Champagnes come from vineyards that have not been classified as Grand or even Premier Cru is remarkable in itself, expanding the parameters of what we know about the region's capabilities. The speed with which Olivier and his wife, Sandra, relentlessly reinvested as much as possible, building up large stocks of reserve wines and ageing them longer before releasing them to the market is impressive: Collin felt this was one of Grandes Marques' strengths and set out to emulate it. Today, if en tirage and reserve wines are included, the domaine boasts a stock equivalent to 300,000 bottles, a remarkable investment in the future.
Most unusual is Collin's relentless pursuit of perfection: he is never satisfied, always looking for the next minor advantage, the tiny tweaks that combine to deliver yet another level of excellence.
When his first releases seemed too harsh, he decided to use a low dosage instead of zero. When he thought the oxidative evolution of his vins clairs had gone too far, he began refilling barrels more frequently and incorporated more spacious foudres (foudres) into the cellar mode.
And when experiments with longer maturation sur lattes yielded convincing results, he ventured out, systematising the later date of disgorgement for whole cuvées at a time.
What was striking about this vertical line-up was not only the remarkable quality of Les Perrières from the start but also the confidence that these wines were only the beginning of Collin's journey to perfection.