NV Ulysse Collin les Maillons Rose de Saignee Extra Brut (2017 base - 36 months)

Given the challenges 2017 presented—in particular the presence of the Suzuki fruit fly, which produces volatile acidity when it attacks fruit—Collin opted for a shorter-than-usual maceration for his NV Extra-Brut Rosé de Saignée Les Maillons (2017), and the result is an unusually elegant, fine-boned rendition of this frequently powerful cuvée. Offering up aromas of white cherries, blood orange, rose petals and spices, it's full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit and a pretty pinpoint mousse.

Mingling notes of orange oil, warm bread and plums with hints of nutmeg and spices, the NV Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée Les Maillons (2016) is full-bodied, fleshy and textural, with a deep core of spicy Pinot Noir fruit, delicate phenolic structure and a long, precise finish. Better integrated than its headier, more demonstrative 2015 counterpart, it was disgorged in March 2020.

Derived entirely from the 2015 vintage, the NV Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée Les Maillons (2015) was disgorged in March 2019 after 36 months sur lattes. A serious, gastronomic rosé, this is one of the more reserved of Collin's 2015-base releases, unwinding in the glass with scents of raspberries, pomegranate, crushed mint, spices, toasted almonds and citrus rind. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a muscular core of fruit girdled by lively acids and fine-grained phenolics, concluding with a long and sapid finish. A wine that rewards reflection, this is another terrific cuvée from Collin, but it will need a year on cork to really show its cards.