Mailly Grand Cru Brut Reserve Champagne

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

The Mailly Grand Cru Brut Reserve Champagne is made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks and barrels. It has a lustrous golden color, and an ABV of 12.5%. Full and fruity on the nose, it exudes aromas of citrus and lightly toasted bread. It has a clean quality on the palate, full-bodied and well-balanced, with notes of freshly buttered bread, and a long finish.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

The Grand Cru Brut Reserve by Champagne Mailly is the perfect aperitif. Enjoy it with cocktails, or with your cheese platters. It’s wonderful with creamy Chaource cheese. It complements chicken and turkey dishes well, and great to enjoy with an apple pie for dessert.

WE’LL DO IT OURSELVES

Champagne Mailly is one of the oldest cooperatives in Champagne, having been founded in 1929. It was an effort of 24 local grape growers who had planted vineyards exclusively in the Mailly Champagne to secure better prices for the wines they sold to Champagne houses.

After buying a piece of land at the entrance of Mailly, they put up a large building for a wine press and vat room, and had plans to install innovative systems. But the Champagne Houses were not as receptive to this as they hoped, with the obvious increase in prices a major reason. So for the first two years, this cooperative had no business. But they did not give up.

Even without financial backing, or any kind of support or facilities, they decided to make and market their own Champagne wines. They rented equipment, used recycled bottles, and did it on their own. And they were successful, producing 3,600 bottles of Mailly Champagne. All bottles were sold to a single buyer, and with the money they got, they put it all into their business, and set to work on their second bottling. The rest, as they say, is history.

Taste Profile

Technical Sheet

Storage Instructions

Fine sparkling wine must be handled with care. For short-term storage (a few days to a month), you can keep your bottle upright—but away from bright or artificial light. For long-term storage, especially for vintage cuvées, you must store the bottles on their side in a wine rack or cellar to keep the cork from drying out. The ideal temperature for storage is between 7 to 10°C. Once opened, a bottle will be good for 1 to 3 days standing upright in the refrigerator.