The Collin family has farmed in the Coteaux du Petit Morin since 1812, but independent production was interrupted in 1987 when Olivier’s father leased the vineyards to Pommery. Olivier studied law in part to reclaim them, and after a formative apprenticeship with Anselme Selosse, he made his first wine from the 2004 vintage. Ulysse Collin is now one of the most sought-after grower-producers in Champagne, based in the village of Congy and the only estate to release every wine as a single-vineyard expression. The wines are fermented with native yeasts in Burgundian barrels, aged on the lees for extended periods, and finished with minimal dosage.

Les Maillons is sourced from pinot noir planted in 1971 near Barbonne-Fayel in the Coteaux du Sézannais, on brown, iron-rich clay soils distinctly different from the chalky terroir beneath Pierrières. The character here is more robust and savory — ripe cherry and crushed raspberry, a thread of hearth smoke, and a vinous depth that sets it apart.

The 2020 base brings warmth and generosity to that frame. Collin’s aim is to make great still wine first and let the bubbles provide lift, and Les Maillons is the fullest expression of that philosophy.