NV Bruno Paillard Dosage Zero, Champagne, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Always the highest quality, Paillard's Multi Vintage wines have a mission to remain faithful to themselves across both the good years and the leaner ones. The DZ cuvée represents the pursuit of purity, energy, harmony, and playing with the pitfalls which our terroir, which can sometimes be a touch austere. 

Paillard exclusively selects the first pressings of the three grape varieties, with the majority vinified in small oak barrels. The blend is dominated by the terroirs of the northern slopes of Montagne de Reims and the first few kilometers on the right bank of the Marne Valley for the meunier. Pinot Meunier takes the spotlight in this cuvée, with equal proportions of chardonnay and pinot noir.

The reserve wines account for half of the blend, which is exceptionally high for most champagnes. The aging is also far longer than the legal requirement: three to four years in bottle “sur lies”, followed by six months rest after disgorgement. 

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.