Mailly-Champagne

What it is

Mailly-Champagne (often shortened to Mailly) is a Grand Cru village on the north flank of the Montagne de Reims. Around 286 hectares of vineyard. Grape split: 88 percent Pinot Noir, 9 percent Chardonnay, 3 percent Meunier. Between Verzenay and Ludes; less famous than its neighbour but with its own clear identity.

Soil and aspect

North-facing slope on chalk with clay bands in the topsoil. Later ripening than the southern Montagne villages, comparable to Verzenay but with a touch more clay in the soil. The result: Pinot Noir with body and minerality, not one at the expense of the other.

The cooperative

Mailly is best known for the Mailly Grand Cru cooperative, founded in 1929 when twenty growers pooled their efforts at a time when small farmers had no bargaining position against the big houses. Today it unites 76 members across 86 hectares. A rare example of a mono-Grand Cru cooperative: all grapes come from a single village.

Producers

• Champagne Mailly Grand Cru: dominant local producer, full range from non-vintage to Prestige
• Adrien Renoir: grower-producer
• Sourdet-Diot: smaller family

Krug, Roederer and Bollinger buy Mailly fruit for their blends.

In the glass

Young: red fruit (cherry, blackberry), chalky minerality, a light smoky note. Wide palate with refined structure. With age: leather, smoked notes, candied fruit. A Mailly Grand Cru cuvée shows powerful Pinot Noir style with more layering than most expect from a Montagne Pinot. Pairs with game, duck, mushroom dishes.