There's little doubt that things have clicked into high gear at Ulysse Collin.

His releases from the 2010 base were stunning and the 2011s were some of the best of the vintage.

Today, we turn to the 2012 base of Collin's Blanc de Noirs Maillons, which promises to be epic.

The wines of Ulysse Collin are individual and intense, working on a grandness of scale that can nearly overwhelm the senses. In short, they are mindbending expressions of Champagne.

Just how successfully they pull this off hasn't gone unnoticed. Antonio Galloni calls Collin's wines, "Some of the most compelling wines being made in Champagne today."

Collin's Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons is sourced from old Pinot vines in chalky clay soil. It's Collin's most powerful wine and one of the most fascinating and breathtakingly unique Champagnes that you'll taste.

Olivier Collin uses a very small amount of reserve wine and that means that the wines carry a very strong vintage character. 2012 is a powerful, concentrated, and high acid vintage - exactly the sort of vintage where Collin's style can flourish.

The Maillons has become really captivating in recent vintages. For all of its expansive power, the wine has become shockingly delineated and clear. There's a formidable structure that radiates energy. Its breadth combined with an electric mineral lift, makes it really noteworthy.

Olivier Collin spent some time with Anselme Selosse and like so many of Champagne's younger generation was inspired to take over his family's vineyards, which were being rented out to a big maison. In his fascinating I'll Drink to That interview, Olivier Collin mentions that he studied law to figure out a way to gain access to his family's vineyards.

Maillons has always been a difficult wine to land in any quantity, but it's gotten much worse with the recent string of stand out wines. The last time that we offered Maillons it was oversold by the end of the day and we needed to do brutal allocations. Today's offer will follow a similar course. Please give us your ideal order and we'll try our best.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits

Ulysse Collin Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons Extra-Brut (2012 base)