Each week I pick out one wine to highlight as my wine of the week. This wine may be an outstanding wine, a great value or just something very interesting.

Overview

We’ve been really getting “into” sparkling wines over the last several months. When Garagiste Wine offered this wine via one of their e-mail offers, I had to jump in for three bottles. This offer didn’t include the typical Jon Rimmerman flowery prose; it only included the tasting note from Steve Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.

The Winery

The family’s rich history can be traced back to being growers in 1753 in the village of Chamery. There are other documents that suggest the family grape growing tradition may have existed as early as 1533.

The family wine production is now on the ninth generation in the form of Nicolas. He returned to the area in 2003 after completing his studies in engineering and oenology. Nicolas is working on continuing the almost 300 year old family tradition and philosophy of bringing out the full potential of the Champagne terroirs in their wines.

The winery isn’t only clinging to the past, it is looking toward the future. In 2009 the winery installed 130 square meters of photovoltaic panels. These panels now supply 90% of their power requirements, greatly reducing their carbon footprint.

Much more information is available on their website by clicking here.

N.V. Nicolas Maillart Champagne Marie-Hanze Eaux Belle Brut – $29.99

Over the last year we’ve gone from not really being big bubbly fans to actively building a nice collection in the cellar. This wine is a total unknown, I grabbed a couple bottles from a Garagiste Wine offer but there are no Cellar Tracker notes on the wine.

This wine is a blend of 60% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.

This has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with the usual sparkling wine natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow to straw color with abundant persistent pinpoint bubbles. The very enticing nose has green apples, freshly baked biscuits, minerals, lemon zest and orange blossoms. Tart apples, minerals and lemon zest grab hold initially, slowly allowing yeasty notes and a floral element to slip into the picture. The finish has good length and leaves your mouth watering for another sip. (90 pts)

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Marie-Hanze Eaux Belle Brut

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive. I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.