2018 Domaine de Marzilly (Ullens), Champagne, Cuvee M Extra Brut

The wines of Domaine de Marzilly (Ullens) are precise, dense through the mid-palate, and delicate in a way that reads as attention rather than surface style. Though located nearby in Hermonville—sharing the same sandy soils as Chartogne-Taillet in the neighboring village of Merfy—the Ullens style is entirely its own. These wines are expansive yet possess a structural lift that is crunchy, saline, and utterly delightful, all the while yielding an effortless weightlessness. Behind this is Maxime Ullens, a Belgian architect who bought a historic estate in 2012, fell down the rabbit hole, and enrolled at the viticultural school in Avize. He owns and organically farms ungrafted Meunier in the sandy soils of Hermonville. In addition to this slim, rugged parcel, Maxime leased an additional two hectares in the eastern and southern edges of the Montagne de Reims known as ‘La Petite Montagne.’ They supplement their production with purchased fruit, making four hectares worth of wine split between about 80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. All of the wines are fermented and aged in barrels made from his own forest before release. If you love grower Champagne with verve, texture, salinity, and nuance, you would not want to miss out here. Cuvee M is 100% Chardonnay from the Massif de Saint Thierry, grown on the same sandy soils as the Meunier. One year in wood and seventy months on lees. Disgorged August 2025. Compact lemon and citrus, driving focused acidity, green apple, and nervous energy. Expansive in the mouth without ever feeling clingy.