Bruno Paillard : N.P.U. "Nec Plus Ultra" 2012

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the N.P.U. "Nec Plus Ultra" 2012 by Bruno Paillard

Food and wine pairings

This Champagne is particularly at home with haute gastronomy, accompanying noble shellfish such as lobster or langoustines prepared with rich cream- or mushroom-based sauces. It also pairs beautifully with pan-seared scallops, pan-seared foie gras and aged hard cooked-curd cheeses, whose richness it highlights with its freshness and structure.

Serving and cellaring

To fully appreciate its profile, we recommend serving this Champagne chilled, at around 10 to 12°C, after very gentle decanting or, failing that, a few minutes in the glass to allow it to open up. Already ready to drink, it can still evolve positively in the cellar for several more years.

N.P.U. "Nec Plus Ultra" 2012: an elegant prestige Champagne with chalky minerality

The estate

Founded in January 1981 in Reims by Bruno Paillard, Bruno Paillard has built its reputation on a constant pursuit of purity and elegance, relying exclusively on the first pressing of the grapes. Still family-owned and independent, the House is now chaired by Bruno Paillard, alongside his daughter Alice, who oversees its day-to-day operations. It farms a vineyard of just over 25 hectares in Champagne, with a large proportion of Grands Crus.

The vineyard

The Bruno Paillard vineyard extends over just over 25 hectares divided into nearly 90 plots located on the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs, the start of the Vallée de la Marne and Les Riceys. These Champagne terroirs, predominantly chalky, benefit from slow, sustainable viticulture, free from herbicides and pesticides, encouraging the vines to root deeply in the chalk. The average age of the vines is around thirty years, an asset for the concentration and complexity of the grapes destined in particular for the prestige cuvées.

Vinification and ageing

This Bruno Paillard N.P.U. is fermented in barrels, an emblematic characteristic of this cuvée, followed by a particularly long ageing on the lees of at least ten years, in keeping with the principles the House applies to this range. After disgorgement, the wine enjoys a further period of rest in the cellar before release, allowing its aromas time to harmonise.

Grape varieties

This Champagne is based on a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from Grand Cru-classified plots belonging to the Bruno Paillard estate.