In 2012, when the Belgian-born Maxime Ullens purchased Domaine de Marzilly, in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, he immediately rolled up his sleeves, renovating the château and schooling himself to learn everything he could about producing Champagne. He’s been on the fast track to making a serious name for himself in the world of Champagne, even capturing the prestigious “Winemaker of the Year” award from Gault & Milau in 2020. All of the separate plots are vinified in their unique oak barrels in their ancient stone cellar – with all the work done by hand by Maxime and his small team.

Made from 100% pinot meunier, “L.P.M.” stands both for La Petite Montagne, a landmark north of the city of Reims, in the far northern extent of the Montagne de Reims and for “Le Pinot Meunier” the chosen grape of Champagne Ullens. Fashioned from a single plot, this mostly 2019 wine is vinified and aged in oak barrels for 11 months to increase complexity and texture. This is immediately followed by bottling and aging on the lees for 28 months, with all riddling laboriously done by hand. After disgorgement in December 2022, a final dosage of 2.2 g/l is added.

But, most importantly, the wine! Let’s get to the good stuff, right? Beautifully nuanced and full – with sensations of toasted almonds, baked Granny Smith apple, and brioche dough, plus further accents of sea spray, green cardamom, Meyer lemon, ground cherries, and raspberry saltwater taffy –  all beautifully underscored with a chalky minerality. There’s a lot going on in this wine, and for such a young house, with virtually no prior experience in crafting Champagne (or even growing grapes!)...well, to say we are thrilled about this wine is an enormous understatement. Only a handful of cases to go around, so it is definitely one not to miss!