Nicolas Maillart 1er Cru Leschaillots Gillis Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2004

Tightly wound and austere, with graphite minerality and subtle smokiness threading through precise Chardonnay fruit. The oak-fermented structure shows beautifully, while the absence of malolactic keeps everything razor-sharp. This old-vine Ecueil Chardonnay demands patience—decant well ahead and expect it to evolve gracefully over the next decade.