Champagne Egly-Ouriet - Brut Tradition Grand Cru

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

A nose of yellow fruit with a hint of honey, a slender palate with great length and a pure, flavorful structure.

About the estate:

Through his disciplined approach to work, the quality of his stock, and the precision of his labels indicating the date of disgorging and the length of aging on lees, Francis Egly sets the standard for all Champagne winegrowing. The warm soils of Ambonnay allow Pinot Noir to reach ideal maturity, with unfailing consistency over the last ten years. Of the current 12 hectares, 10 are classified as grand cru, including Verzy, Verzenay, and Bouzy.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About wine:

The most widely distributed cuvée, and the one that the public is most likely to taste, is the traditional Grand Cru cuvée, which gives an excellent idea of the Egly spirit. These are mature, full-bodied champagnes with exceptional flavor.

About the estate:

Vines are like horses: if you want to master them, you have to breed them. As a skilled horseman and breeder, Francis Egly has a vineyard that is nearly 40 years old, built by his family around remarkable massal selections, which are the source of the rare flavor of his grapes and therefore his champagnes. Over three generations, the family has built up a heritage of grand cru vineyards (9.7 hectares) in Bouzy, Verzenay and, above all, Ambonnay (7.7 hectares), in the heart of the terroir. In premier cru (vines acquired from Madame's side of the family), it has 2 hectares of Pinot Meunier on the Vrigny terroir in the Marne Valley. Contrary to the trend in Champagne of selling increasingly young bottles, Francis Egly, following in the footsteps of his father Michel, is patiently building up a treasure trove that allows him to market his brut champagnes after four years of aging and his vintage champagnes after more than six years. All wines are vinified in barrels (since 1995) without malolactic fermentation (since 1999) in order to preserve greater freshness. The disgorging dates are indicated on the back labels.