Through single-minded dedication, Olivier Collin has transformed the Coteaux du Petit Morin and Côte de Sézanne into some of the most talked-about terroirs in Champagne.
The Collin family have been growing grapes for over two centuries in this corner of Champagne, where Côte des Blancs chalk meets the more diverse soils further south. In more recent times, their vineyards were leased to one of the large maisons, but this all changed in 2003 when Olivier put his law degree to good use and took back control of his inheritance.
After learning all he could about high-quality viticulture, he painstakingly restored the family's land and began making site-specific, single-varietal Champagnes inspired by an absolute confidence in the quality of his terroir.
Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in oak barrels, Olivier's cuvées balance the weight of perfectly ripe fruit and a significant percentage of reserve wines, with a laser-like precision that is further enhanced by low dosage. After undergoing extended pre-disgorgement ageing in the domaine's incredibly deep cellars, the wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
From benchmark Chardonnays 'Les Pierrières' (in Vert-Toulon), 'Les Enfers' and 'Les Roises' (both from Congy), all of which ripple with mineral tension, to the sumptuous complexity of 'Les Maillons' Blanc de Noirs, Ulysse Collin has become the essential reference for devotees of grower Champagne.
