Egly-Ouriet is a family property based mostly by Francis Egly’s grandfather in Ambonnay. I met with Francis and his daughter Clémence to type through a couple of of their wines in London. It’s a domaine I have been following for some time. Once more throughout the day, as soon as I used to be merely moving into wine, the first ‘grower’ Champagne I encountered was Egly-Ouriet. This was throughout the mid-Nineteen Nineties, when grower Champagne wasn’t a variety of an element, and the wines had been stocked by Liz and Mike Berry of the fabulous La Vigneronne in South Kensington (which is now Handford Wines).
Francis is basically answerable for bringing the domaine to the place it is proper this second. He took over in 1982 and decided to bottle all the wines beneath the Egly-Ouriet title considerably than selling them to negociants. The domaine started with no vineyards, and all the current vineyards have been purchased since then. There are two locations. The precept one is Ambonnay, they often have 10 hectares throughout the grand cru area, throughout the villages of Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. As well as they’ve vineyards from his partner’s side, in Trigny. In the last few years they’ve elevated their vineyard holdings and now have 20 hectares.
The philosophy of the house is to take care of the wines on lees for a really very long time. This ranges from three to seven years for lots of the wines, and as a lot as 9 years for the VP cuvée . ‘The complexity of the wine and the terroir expression will improve with time on lees,’ says Francis. ‘We’re going to not at all change this,’ he says, although supplies that if it does change, they’re going to go longer not shorter. Curiously, although a lot of the wines are from a single basic, they’re labelled as NV.
THE WINES
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Prémices NV France
12.5% alcohol. It’s a third each of the fundamental varieties from a 3.5 hectare plot in Trigny, with the underside wines aged in stainless-steel. Base wine is 2019 and there could also be roughly 50% reserve wine throughout the combine. They bottle in July, as late as they may (they don’t use filtration, and use wild yeasts). Disgorged with 1 g/l dosage after 36 months on the lees. The reserve wines are saved as separate vintages, and separate terroirs, in tank. Superior aromatics with nuts, toast, aniseed and a contact of wax. This has good weight on the palate with rich citrus and pear fruit and a slight salinity. Ripe, textural and correctly superior. This could possibly be their entry-level wine, but it surely absolutely’s implausible. 93/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Vignes de Vrigny 1er Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. That’s really 2019 basic and is 100% Pinot Meunier, base wine wild-ferment in tank, with a 2 g/l dosage. 36 months on lees, disgorged July 2023. Lively and intense, and really current. This has good vitality and complexity with lime and mandarin notes. Such precision with delicious fruit and precise complexity. 94/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Bisseuil 1er Cru NV France
That’s 2018, aged 51 months on lees, 2 g/litre dosage. It’s a model new wine for Egly-Ouriet, from a 1.5 hectare vineyard they bought 10 years up to now, subsequent to Ay, nonetheless that’s the major launch on account of the vineyards had been nonetheless rented out for a while. 70% Chardonnay and the rest is half/half Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Barrel fermented base wine. Whatever the higher than common Chardonnay content material materials that’s nonetheless Egly in trend. Extremely efficient and energetic with fairly depth of flavour: spice, crystalline citrus, a contact of salinity, with depth and focus however moreover freshness. Very high-quality. 95/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru NV France
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, with 50% 2018, 30% 2017, 20% 2016. 90% Ambonnay, then 10% Bouzy and Verzenay. Wild ferment in barrel, 10% new, aged 48 months on the lees after which disgorged with dosage of 1g/litre. Superior, intense and high-quality with extremely efficient lemon and lime, along with some cherry and apple. Notes of toast, aniseed and a contact of wax. Precise and linear with good focus and good precision. Profound. 96/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru V.P. NV France
12.5% alcohol. VP stands for viellissement prolongé, and this wine spends 84 months on the lees. It’s 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay and it’s bottled with 3 g/l dosage. Taut, superior nostril of pear, apple and toast with marzipan and some linear citrus fruits. Good precision with concentrated citrus notes, a contact of cherry, and delightful focus. Finishes barely salty, with good harmony. 96/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Crayères Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. That’s 100% Pinot Noir and spends 72 months on lees (that’s 2016). It’s an earlier Pinot Fin selection, and this plot in Ambonnay was planted in 1946/7 on very chalky soils. Francis says it’s like a Montrachet with bubbles. Extremely efficient, rich and expressive with toast and cherry, along with some herbs. Fairly fruit depth with good acidity. So current however moreover has depth. 94/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Coteaux Champenois Cuvée des Grands Côtes 2015 France
It’s a specific assortment of earlier plots in Ambonnay, from deeper soils. They prune shorter, do a inexperienced harvest, select later after which élevage is in barrels for almost two years. Sweetly fruited and pretty rich with some mellowness, and hints of mint and some meat, along with a sweet core of cherry and berry fruits. Good component proper right here. 93/100
Older notes:
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Millésime Brut 2008 France
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Tasted blind. Apple, marzipan and honey on the nostril, exhibiting some richness. The palate is concentrated and linear with cherry and almond, along with high-quality spiciness. Broad and harmonious with apply richness however moreover fairly steadiness and acidity. 94/100 (12/22)
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut NV France
50 months on lees. Disgorged September 2019. Broad and sophisticated on the nostril with toast and ripe pear notes. Some apricot and nuts, too. Rich and weighty on the palate: rich with out being viscous with good crystalline fruit. Such focus. Mineral and pristine. 94/100 (03/20 at Noble Rot)
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Brut Customized Grand Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. I had this particular wine throughout the outdoors bathtub tub on the lodging I was staying at in Golden Bay, on the prime of South Island, New Zealand. From Ambonnay, Bouxy and Verzenay. 48 months on lees, disgorged July 2016. Very high-quality and detailed with fairly citrus and apple core, along with some pear and nut richness. It’s pretty dry and sophisticated with high-quality herbs and juicy acidity. Grown up and sophisticated, that’s fruit-driven nonetheless 4 years on the lees and one different 11 months in bottle has given the first indicators of toasty maturity. 93/100 (06/17)
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Brut Customized Grand Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. Warmly aromatic with hints of apricot and toast, along with ripe apple and almonds. Taut, current, extremely efficient palate with apple and pear fruit, along with some warmth toastiness. Very current, precise and dry. An psychological Champagne of good enchantment. 93/100 (02/12)
UK agent: Lea & Sandeman