Domaine De Marzilly - Champagne Ullens Brut Lot 08

Tatler Champagne Guide 2024-2025

Grape Makeup:

80% Meunier; 20% Chardonnay

Sweetness Level:

Brut (2.8g/L)

Ageing on Lees:

41 months

Price:

$$

Cellar:

Up to five years

Category:

Culinary

What

A grower estate built ex novo by Belgian architect Maxime Ullens and wife Anna when they bought Domaine de Marzilly in 2012, with the first wine released in 2019.

Where

Hermonville, northern Montagne de Reims; 4ha near Hermonville and elsewhere in the Montagne de Reims, roughly 80% Meunier and 20% Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, organically farmed.

Why

This comes from the northern limit of the northernmost wine region in France, and the wine very much channels that vibe, lending a sense of adventure and discovery. The scale is genuinely artisanal here, with each fermentation happening in a glass-headed 205-litre barrel (the size of the traditional pièce champenoise) made from oak forests on their property (the glass is to avoid the greenness that often comes from the lower toast level of the wood used for barrel heads).

What Else

Despite not having formal training as a winemaker when he arrived in Champagne, Ullens joined the wine school at Avize after deciding to make his own wine, making his first vintage in 2016.

Tasting Notes

This has a smoky, punchy nose with burnt match, hickory smoke and dried underbrush, even a hint of varnish, over lusciously ripe satsuma and grapefruit citrus. There is a similar sense of heft on the palate, with a cutting bitterness that gives it edge and frames its rectangular shape. There is a marked chalky texture and darker, meaty flavours of dashi, bresaola and dried chanterelle, mingling with dried peach and strawberry fruit. The acidity just keeps the breadth and darkness in balance, ultimately leaving a sense of compaction and discipline rather than flashiness.

Try It With

A chewy smoked chicken or duck

When To Drink

Main course

Perfect For

Your architect friend

Tatler Tip

Probably not the best choice before noon or when the temperature goes over 30ºC

TL/DR

Smoky, ripely citric and brawny

Supplier

Fine Wine Experience