NV Bruno Paillard "Cuvee 72" Extra Brut, Champagne, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

The name "Cuvée 72" derives from 36+36, adding up to 72 months minimum maturation before shipment. Cuvée 72 is a variation on the complexity of time and development of our Première Cuvée. This is one of the 30 Paillard wines whose composition is kept secret. Cuvée 72 is comprised of a system of reserve wines dating back to 1985, along with the latest harvest. It is a selection of first pressing of Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a proportion of which (20%) have had their first fermentation in oak barrels.

This champagne aged for 36 months on the lees. Afterwards, this cuvée spent 36 more months in cellar post disgorgement. 36 + 36… After 72 months of patience, the wine develops, faithful to its origins, evolving from notes of fruits to more floral, spicy, toasty aromas.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Bruno Paillard is a small, independent, family-owned Champagne house founded in Reims in 1981 by Bruno Paillard. Born into a family of Champagne growers and brokers, Paillard began his career as a wine broker before establishing his own maison at just 27 years old. Though young by Champagne standards, the house quickly developed a distinctive reputation for elegance, precision, and freshness.

Today, Bruno Paillard owns approximately 25 hectares spread across nearly 100 parcels, including important Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. The estate vineyards provide more than half of the house’s grape requirements, with the remainder carefully sourced from longtime growers. Only the first pressing is used, and individual crus are vinified separately in stainless steel or small oak barrels before blending.

Reserve wines play an important role in the house style, with multi-vintage cuvées incorporating significant portions from a perpetual reserve established in 1985. Bruno Paillard also favors extended lees aging and very low dosage, with all of its Champagnes classified as Extra Brut. The house was also a pioneer in Champagne transparency, becoming the first maison to indicate the disgorgement date on every bottle.

The Bruno Paillard style is defined by purity, fine bubbles, bright acidity, and a distinctive chalky, saline minerality. Citrus, white orchard fruit, subtle toast, and almond often emerge alongside greater complexity with age. The range includes Première Cuvée, Rosé Première Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Dosage: Zéro, Cuvée 72, vintage Champagnes, and the prestigious N.P.U. (“Nec Plus Ultra”), the house’s most ambitious expression.