Many lawyers, bored, overworked, doing proofreading that shortly AI will accomplish more accurately and cheaply, dream of being winegrowers. Olivier Collin then, is living the dream. His family used to rent out their vineyards on a massively restrictive contract to Pommery and Olivier could see what great terroirs they are. So as a student he studied law and winemaking concurrently. The first so he could get the vineyards back, the second so he could make the wine to realise the land`s potential. He also apprenticed himself to Anselme Selosse.

Now, from the seven and a bit hectares he carefully crafts some of the most intense, terroir-driven and arguably least Champagne-like wines from the region. His first concern is his land and soil quality. He isn`t biodynamic and because he doesn`t like chucking loads of damaging copper onto his soils, neither is he organic. He is the most conservative and studious farmer with a real sense of stewardship and connection to his vines.

Once he had reclaimed his family`s land his first investment was a tractor to begin the process of soil reinvigoration. His first vintage was supposed to be 2003, but spring frost nipped that in the bud so he started in 2004 - a proper farmer`s vintage. Olivier picks his fruit quite ripe, unlike the Champagne norm of underripeness and uses virtually zero-dosage. They are also less aggressively fizzy than most Champagne. Here the bubbles are to lift the already superb wines rather than disguise what is lacking. They are complex wines that are beautiful with food. They are intense and full and surely count as meditation wines. Highly recommended. (CW 21/09/18)