Ulysse Collin – "Les Maillons" Rosé de Saignée – Champagne – Extra-Brut Rosé – 1 bottle (0.75 L) – single-vineyard grower Champagne, 100% Pinot Noir, disgorged 03/2019 (base 2015) Storage and provenance: This bottle has been stored since purchase in professional, temperature-controlled conditions at around 12–13°C. It is offered exactly as shown in the photographs, capsule and labels intact. Per the back label, this is a Récoltant-Manipulant (grower) bottling, producer reference RM-28860-01, elaborated by EARL Ulysse Collin at Congy (51270), Lot 15/1, bottle N°11, base year CW (2015), 36 months on the lees, disgorged March 2019 — precise, traceable data that confirms the bottle's identity, its base vintage and its now well-aged, mature status. Wine critic ratings: Ulysse Collin's Les Maillons range is among the most sought-after grower Champagne in the world, consistently earning high scores across the leading critics. The Rosé de Saignée is the rarest cuvée in the range, produced in tiny quantities, so vintage-specific critic scores are scarce; the following reflects the standing of the Les Maillons parcel and the domaine: - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley): Les Maillons is consistently reviewed in the mid-90s (e.g. +95/100 for recent Blanc de Noirs releases), praised as effusive, deep and structured, emphasising the breadth of Pinot Noir with bright saline notes over sweet red cherry, kirsch, dried flowers and spice. As a mature, well-aged saignée rosé from a cult single vineyard, this bottle is prized more for its rarity and drinking condition than for a headline vintage score. Producer and cuvée: Domaine Ulysse Collin, run by Olivier Collin from Congy, is one of the brightest stars of the grower-Champagne movement — a former student of Anselme Selosse who reclaimed his family's vineyards from 2003, farms them naturally, and vinifies in foudres and 225-litre barrels in a Burgundian, terroir-first style. He is the only estate in Champagne to release 100% of its wines as single-vineyard expressions. "Les Maillons" is his single parcel of old-vine Pinot Noir (planted 1971/72) in the Coteaux du Sézannais, on clay- and iron-rich soils over soft Campanian chalk. The Rosé de Saignée is made from a dedicated section of that parcel, farmed for superior phenolic ripeness and lower yields, then bled off its skins (saignée) — a labour-intensive, minimal-production method rare in Champagne. It is 100% Pinot Noir, Extra-Brut and non-vintage by design. Style: A vinous, structured and characterful rosé: deep, concentrated red and stone fruit (cherry, plum, redcurrant) with spice, chalky-saline minerality, fine phenolic grip and racy acidity. With disgorgement in 2019 and a 2015 base, this bottle now carries mature, developed complexity while retaining Collin's signature freshness and drive. Drinking beautifully now, with the structure to hold for several more years. Condition and packaging: The lot comprises one 75 cl bottle (12.5% vol.) in excellent condition: intact capsule, clean and bright front and back labels, and a strong fill consistent with careful, temperature-controlled storage. The characteristic deep rosé colour is clearly visible through the glass. The bottle is offered on its own, exactly as photographed. Drinking window and collectability: As one of the rarest cuvées from one of the most collectible grower estates in Champagne — a single-vineyard, saignée rosé made in minuscule quantities and now showing mature complexity — this Les Maillons Rosé is both a connoisseur's drinking experience and a genuine trophy for the cellar. The traceable bottle data (lot, base year, disgorgement date) and its well-aged condition make this an especially secure and desirable lot for collectors and drinkers alike. Drinking window: now through roughly 2030. Shipping and handling: As I care deeply about the storage and wellbeing of my wines, shipping will be handled with particular attention. I am happy to agree with the buyer, after the auction closes, on the optimal shipping date and method, taking into account weather conditions and transit times. The bottle will be securely packed with ample protective material to prevent movement and impact, and can be sent fully insured with signature on delivery. During warmer periods I can arrange insulated packaging and cooling elements, and we can opt for an express service to minimise time in transit. Happy Bidding!