Ulysse Collin

Côte du Sézanne is home to Olivier Collin. The Collin family has owned vineyards since 1812 and also produced their own wines then, but Olivier's father decided in 1987 to lease the vineyards to the big champagne house Pommery. Olivier knew that these were very good plots and therefore preferred to manage the vineyards himself and make champagne from them. To get the vineyards back and dissolve the lease, he first went to law school. That way, he knew what steps he could take and what his rights were. He also took a short viticulture course and did an internship with the icon Anselme Selosse. In 2003, Olivier managed to recover the first 4.5 hectares. A year later, he produces his first champagnes and releases them under the name Ulysse Collin. The following year, the remaining 4.2 hectares also become his property.

The focus is on producing terroir champagnes. This is why Olivier works as much as possible naturally. He is deliberately not certified organic, because should serious diseases occur for any reason, he can still intervene. The high concentrations of lime and clay provide the perfect soil for mineral champagnes. The planting consists of chardonnay and pinot noir. The age of the vines is between 35 and 60 years.

The winemaking process is designed so that the terroir comes out clearly in the wine. This is why Olivier only produces single vineyard and single variety champagnes. In addition, fermentation is initiated by indigenous yeasts. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in old oak barrels. Sur lie maturation continues for an average of 36 to 60 months. Ulysee Collin's portfolio consists of six different cuvées, including Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons, Les Maillons Rosé de Saigee, Le Jardin d'Ulysse and the three Blanc de Blancs champagnes Les Pierrières, Les Enfers and Les Roises.

Olivier may have only been a winemaker for a relatively short time, but his hard work has already been rewarded several times with outstanding scores. For example, he has already received 100 Parker Points twice. These are the two champagnes Les Enfers '14 and Les Roises '15.