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“Of the most unique and thrilling wines being made in Champagne. There is little question Collin’s wines are now on the same level as those of his mentor, Anselme Selosse.” - Robert Parker
History
Olivier Collin’s Champagne is in the village of Congy in the Sézannais, south of the Côte des Blancs. Collin gives credit to Anselme Selosse for inspiring him to become a Champenois vigneron. He did a training period with Selosse in 2001, which he describes as "one of those encounters that changes your life. Selosse is the one who drove him to take back the portion of his family estate that was rented to Pommery.
Vineyards
In 2003 when he had his first harvest, the grapes had been badly hit by frost and he had to sell its entire production to the negoce. However Collin succeeded in making his first wine in 2004, from a 1.2-hectare parcel in a vineyard called Les Pierrières, in the nearby village of Vert La Gravelle, the vines here are about 30 to 60 years old. In addition, he has some other Chardonnay parcels in Vert La Gravelle and Congy, as well as parcels of Pinot Noir that are between 35 and 60 years old.
Winemaking
Collin farms his vines organically and winemaking here is as natural and non-interventionist as possible. Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts. Both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are carried out in three- to six-years old barriques. The wine is not fined or filtered. Collin continues to experiment relentlessly, and even though his wines are often the objects of controversy, they are anything but consensual.
His wines exhibit a deeply vinous presence and a firmly pronounced chalkiness, emphasizing the expression of terroir over fruit flavor.
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