2021 Pierre Paillard Bouzy Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Maillerettes – 96 Points James Suckling

96 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING! OLD-VINE PINOT NOIR FROM ONE OF CHAMPAGNE'S GREATEST GRAND CRU VILLAGES!

96 Points JamesSuckling.com | 96 Points Wine Spectator 

2021 Pierre Paillard Les Maillerettes Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs – Champagne, France

RRP $410 per bottle

This is extraordinary Champagne. A single vineyard. More than 50-year-old Pinot Noir vines. Four years on lees. And one of the most celebrated terroirs in all of Champagne.

If you love the depth and sophistication of great Pinot Noir, the precision of exceptional grower Champagne and wines with genuine Grand Cru pedigree, the 2021 Pierre Paillard Les Maillerettes is a bottle you absolutely need to experience.

Bouzy is legendary for its Pinot Noir.

And Les Maillerettes is one of the most remarkable expressions of that reputation.

Produced by brothers Antoine and Quentin Paillard, this extraordinary Champagne comes from a historic family vineyard planted in 1970.

100% Pinot Noir. 100% Bouzy Grand Cru. Single vineyard. Certified organic.

Fermented in traditional oak barrels.

Matured for approximately four years on lees.

And finished with just 3 grams per litre dosage.

The result is a Champagne of remarkable depth, texture and mineral precision.

96 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING!

96 POINTS WINE SPECTATOR!

At $410 per bottle, this is a serious Champagne for collectors, Pinot Noir enthusiasts and anyone searching for the extraordinary.

Pierre Paillard – Eight Generations in Grand Cru Bouzy

The Paillard family has been cultivating vineyards in Bouzy for more than 200 years.

Eight generations of experience in one of Champagne's most prestigious villages.

Today, brothers Antoine and Quentin Paillard continue this remarkable family tradition, producing Champagnes that celebrate the individuality of their vineyards.

Their approach combines meticulous vineyard management, organic viticulture and traditional winemaking.

Rather than creating wines that conform to a uniform house style, they seek to reveal the distinctive character of each parcel.

And few vineyards are more important to the estate than Les Maillerettes.

This is one of the family's historic Pinot Noir vineyards, and one of the most compelling wines in its entire portfolio.

Bouzy Grand Cru – The Legendary Home of Pinot Noir

Bouzy is one of Champagne's greatest villages.

Situated on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims, its vineyards are celebrated for producing Pinot Noir of extraordinary concentration, depth and structure.

The combination of south-facing exposures and chalk-rich soils is fundamental.

The exposure encourages excellent ripeness.

The chalk provides freshness, finesse and mineral precision.

This creates Pinot Noir with an extraordinary combination of generosity and elegance.

Beautifully ripe fruit.

Remarkable concentration.

Savoury complexity.

And exceptional ageing potential.

Les Maillerettes captures these characteristics in one extraordinary single-vineyard Champagne.

Les Maillerettes – Old Vines Planted in 1970

The Les Maillerettes vineyard was planted in 1970.

These old Pinot Noir vines grow on a south-facing, mid-slope site in Bouzy.

The soils contain chalk with a proportion of clay, providing a fascinating combination of concentration and mineral freshness.

The vines were established using massal selection, a traditional method of propagating vines from selected plants rather than relying solely on commercial clones.

This historic parcel is also important to the estate as a source of plant material for its vineyard propagation.

Old vines naturally contribute to the wine's remarkable concentration and complexity.

And the combination of Pinot Noir, chalk and Bouzy's exceptional exposure creates something genuinely special.

This is Grand Cru Champagne with an extraordinary sense of place.

The 2021 Vintage – Freshness, Tension and Extraordinary Precision

The 2021 vintage was a challenging year in Champagne.

Cool, wet conditions and significant disease pressure required exceptional attention in the vineyards.

But for growers who successfully managed these challenges, the vintage produced wines with remarkable freshness and acidity.

The 2021 Les Maillerettes is a fascinating expression of that character.

There is the depth and concentration expected from old-vine Bouzy Pinot Noir.

But also beautiful energy.

Freshness.

Mineral tension.

And remarkable precision.

This is a Champagne that combines the power of Bouzy with the freshness of the 2021 growing season.

Traditional Oak Fermentation – Serious Winemaking

Les Maillerettes is fermented using indigenous yeasts in 350-litre oak barrels.

Malolactic fermentation is allowed to occur naturally.

The wine is neither fined nor filtered.

This traditional approach helps preserve the individuality of the vineyard while developing beautiful texture and complexity.

The oak provides additional depth and integration.

But the defining character remains the extraordinary Pinot Noir fruit.

This is Champagne made with the attention and precision normally associated with the world's greatest still wines.

Four Years on Lees – Extraordinary Complexity

Following fermentation, Les Maillerettes is bottled under cork for its secondary fermentation.

It then spends approximately 48 months ageing on its lees.

Four years of patient maturation.

This contributes beautiful complexity.

Fresh brioche.

Toasted almonds.

Delicate pastry.

Savoury spice.

And an exceptionally fine mousse.

The extended ageing also helps integrate the wine's powerful Pinot Noir character.

The result is a Champagne with remarkable depth and harmony.

Rich, structured and beautifully complex, yet wonderfully fresh and precise.

Extra Brut – Just 3 Grams per Litre Dosage

The 2021 Les Maillerettes is finished with just 3 grams per litre dosage.

This places it firmly in the Extra Brut category.

The low dosage allows the natural richness of Bouzy Pinot Noir to provide balance.

The fruit contributes generosity.

The chalky terroir provides mineral tension.

And the acidity delivers remarkable freshness.

This is a magnificent example of how serious Champagne can combine richness and extraordinary precision.

Strawberry Tart, Plum, Quince and Beautiful Savoury Complexity

The aromatic complexity of Les Maillerettes is remarkable.

James Suckling's 96-point review highlights strawberry tart, floral perfume and tangy fruit character.

Other tasting descriptions identify ripe plum, quince, dried herbs, brioche, roasted almonds and smoky minerality.

The combination is fascinating.

Generous Pinot Noir fruit.

Beautiful savoury complexity.

And remarkable mineral definition.

On the palate, the wine possesses impressive concentration.

There is depth and structure.

Fine bubbles.

Beautifully integrated acidity.

And a long, powerful finish.

This is a Champagne with the intensity of great Pinot Noir and the extraordinary elegance of Grand Cru Champagne.

Outstanding Critical Recognition

96 POINTS – JAMES SUCKLING

96 POINTS – WINE SPECTATOR

An extraordinary collection of accolades for a remarkable single-vineyard Champagne.

Les Maillerettes vs Les Mottelettes – Two Extraordinary Grand Cru Champagnes

Pierre Paillard produces two fascinating single-vineyard Champagnes from Bouzy.

Both are Grand Cru.

Both come from historic family vineyards.

Both are produced with extraordinary attention to detail.

But they are dramatically different.

2021 Les Maillerettes – 96 Points James Suckling

100% Pinot Noir from vines planted in 1970.

Powerful.

Structured.

Generous.

Beautifully savoury.

And wonderfully mineral.

2021 Les Mottelettes – 99 Points James Suckling

100% Chardonnay from vines planted in 1961.

Rich.

Precise.

Extraordinarily concentrated.

And ranked No. 10 in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of France 2026.

Two extraordinary vineyards. Two different grape varieties. Two magnificent expressions of Grand Cru Bouzy.

For serious Champagne enthusiasts, tasting these wines side by side would be an unforgettable experience.

A Magnificent Champagne for Fine Dining

Les Maillerettes is a serious Champagne that deserves an exceptional meal.

Its powerful Pinot Noir character makes it particularly suited to richer dishes.

Think roast duck.

Bresse chicken.

Veal.

Wild mushrooms.

And beautifully prepared game birds.

It would also be magnificent with scallops, turbot or lobster.

The wine's savoury complexity and remarkable mineral freshness make it a particularly exciting partner for fine dining.

Serve it in a generous white wine glass and allow it time to reveal its extraordinary depth and complexity.

A Champagne for the Serious Collector

The 2021 Les Maillerettes possesses the structure, concentration and freshness to reward careful cellaring.

The old-vine Pinot Noir provides remarkable depth.

Traditional oak fermentation contributes complexity.

Four years on lees adds further sophistication.

And the low dosage allows the mineral precision of the vineyard to remain beautifully defined.

This is a Champagne that can be enjoyed for its youthful intensity but also has the potential to develop further savoury and toasted complexity with time.

A magnificent addition to any serious Champagne collection.

Why We Love This Champagne at Liquid Vibe

At Liquid Vibe, we are constantly searching for wines that deliver something genuinely extraordinary.

And the 2021 Pierre Paillard Les Maillerettes is exactly that.

First, there is the history.

Eight generations of winemaking in Bouzy.

Then there is the vineyard.

A historic Grand Cru Pinot Noir parcel planted in 1970.

Then there is the winemaking.

Indigenous fermentation.

Traditional oak barrels.

Four years ageing on lees.

And just 3 grams per litre dosage.

And finally, there is the critical recognition.

96 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING!

96 POINTS WINE SPECTATOR!

At $410 per bottle, this is undoubtedly a serious Champagne.

But this is also a single-vineyard Grand Cru Pinot Noir from one of Champagne's most respected independent growers.

A wine of extraordinary depth.

Beautiful texture.

Remarkable mineral precision.

And genuine collector appeal.

If you love exceptional Pinot Noir, extraordinary grower Champagne or wines that truly express their vineyard origins, this is a bottle you absolutely need to experience.

GRAND CRU BOUZY. OLD-VINE PINOT NOIR. SINGLE VINEYARD. FOUR YEARS ON LEES. 96 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING.

2021 Pierre Paillard Les Maillerettes is a magnificent Champagne – and one we are delighted to recommend at Liquid Vibe.

Wine Details

• Producer: Champagne Pierre Paillard

• Wine: Les Maillerettes Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs

• Vintage: 2021

• Region: Champagne, France

• Village: Bouzy, Montagne de Reims

• Classification: Grand Cru

• Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

• Vineyard: Les Maillerettes, single vineyard

• Vine Planting: 1970

• Exposure: South-facing, mid-slope

• Soils: Chalk with clay

• Viticulture: Certified organic

• Fermentation: Indigenous yeasts in 350-litre oak barrels

• Malolactic Fermentation: Completed

• Lees Ageing: Approximately 48 months

• Dosage: 3 g/L

• Style: Vintage Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne

• Critic Scores: 96 Points JamesSuckling.com | 96 Points Wine Spectator 

• RRP: $410 per bottle

• Food Pairing: Roast duck, Bresse chicken, veal, wild mushrooms, lobster and aged Comté

• Serving Temperature: Approximately 10–12°C

• Cellaring: Enjoy now or cellar carefully under suitable conditions