There are few growers in champagne with the attention to detail and unashamed passion for producing wines of distinction.
Egly-Ouriet is based in the grand cru village of Ambonnay, famed for its pinot noir fruit. It is run by the skillful, Francis Egly who practices biodynamic and organic principals in his vineyards which span, Bouzy and Verzenay. Francis makes up a handful of highly talented and terroir-driven producers along with the likes of Anselme Selosse, Larmandier-Bernier and Vouette et Sorbée.
These are wines first and he produces deep, powerful and intense styles of champagne. His minimum ageing is around 48-60 months (as declared on his informative back label) for his non-vintage wines, allowing time to express the inner strength and purity. If you’ve never heard of Egly-Ouriet before, you are in for a treat.
92 Points William Kelley
The latest rendition of Egly’s emblematic NV Brut Grand Cru is based on the 2016 vintage, and it was disgorged in spring 2021 with only one gram per liter dosage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, crisp stone fruit, wheat toast and citrus oil mingled with hints of white flowers and praline, it’s full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with tangy acids, terrific mid-palate amplitude and an enlivening pinpoint mousse. The wine’s structure and ultra-low dosage mean that this is quite a tightly wound young wine, and it will merit at least a year or two on cork if readers can muster the necessary patience.
