domaine de marzilly ullens brut (degorgement 04.2021)

maxime ullens from belgium was just over twenty years old in 2012 when he discovered this castle surrounded by a park and a forest (32 ha), destroyed during the first world war. the young man, who has a background in architecture, decided to renovate it. this was without counting on a piece of vineyard spared by the phylloxera crisis of the early 19th century. without a doubt, this small plot of land changed maxime ullens' life! the young man took a passion for viticulture, became interested in grape varieties, wanted to plant them and produce champagne. but the road to becoming a winemaker in champagne is steep. he went back to school at the avize viticultural high school to obtain his farm operator's certificate. eight years later, the domaine de marzilly rose magnificently from its ashes. and from now on, a brand of champagne bears the name of its owner: champagne ullens. a first commercialized cuvée, a brut without year, dosed at 4gr/l, is elaborated with 7% of pinot noir, 37% of chardonnay and ...56% of meunier. this famous meunier to which maxime ullens wants to give letters of nobility, which grows in the sandy part of hermonville. it is on this terroir that maxime ullens now works four hectares. the founder of the domaine de marzilly, was recognized for his work by the famous gault & millau guide before being named winemaker of the year 2020.