Bruno Paillard : N.P.U. "Nec Plus Ultra" 1996

Bruno Paillard crafts an exceptional champagne of refinement and complexity

The Estate

Founded in Reims in 1981, Bruno Paillard is one of the youngest houses in Champagne. Uncompromising terroir selection, exclusive use of the first pressing, blends drawn from a vast collection of reserve wines, and ageing periods twice as long as the appellation's regulations require: the Bruno Paillard range reflects a constant pursuit of excellence and a determination to create a “very personal style”. Through elegant, complex champagnes of great purity, Maison Bruno Paillard raises Champagne savoir-faire to the height of its art.

The Vineyard

The house of Champagne Bruno Paillard tends an exceptional, patiently assembled vineyard of 32 hectares spread across 15 crus, 12 of which are classified as “Grands Crus”. The vineyard brings together the great terroirs of Oger, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Cumières and Verzenay, as well as the exceptional Les Riceys cru in the south of Champagne.

The Wine

The N.P.U. “Nec Plus Ultra” cuvée was born of the ambition to produce the greatest Champagne wine, with rigour and exacting standards guiding every stage of its making. N.P.U is produced only in exceptional years (1990, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004).

N.P.U “Nec Plus Ultra” 1996 comes from a rigorous selection of grapes from 4 of the 17 villages entitled to the Grand Cru appellation (Oger, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Verzenay and Bouzy).

The Vintage

The 1996 harvest combined great ripeness with high acidity, ideal conditions for crafting an exceptional champagne with considerable ageing potential.

Vinification and Ageing

Like all of the house's cuvées, Bruno Paillard's N.P.U. “Nec Plus Ultra” 1996 is made exclusively from the first pressing. Fermentation takes place in small, old oak barrels. An initial 9-month ageing period is followed by the blending of the 22 selected barrels. Second fermentation in bottle. The wine is then aged for 12 years in the estate's cellars at a constant temperature (10.5°C) before disgorgement in January 2009. Following disgorgement, it is aged for more than 2 additional years, bringing the total ageing time to 15 years.

The dosage is very low (4 g/l). Each bottle is numbered and bears its disgorgement date.

Blend

Bruno Paillard's N.P.U. “Nec Plus Ultra” 1996 is a blend of Chardonnay (50%) and Pinot Noir (50%).

Tasting

Powerful and beautifully fresh, Bruno Paillard's N.P.U. “Nec Plus Ultra” 1996 captivates with its deep golden colour and its rich, nuanced aromatic palette.

Serving

For optimal enjoyment, serve between 8°C and 9°C.

Food and Wine Pairing

Ideal as an aperitif, Bruno Paillard's N.P.U. “Nec Plus Ultra” 1996 reveals its full complexity with a meal, provided that no sweet dishes are served.