Champagne Egly-Ouriet - Brut Tradition Grand Cru

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

The nose offers notes of yellow fruit with a hint of honey; on the palate, it is elegant with great length and a pure, flavorful structure.

About the estate:

Through his work ethic, the quality of his stock, and the precision of his labels—which indicate the disgorgement date and the length of aging on the lees—Francis Egly sets the standard for the entire Champagne wine industry. The warm soils of Ambonnay allow the Pinot Noir to reach ideal ripeness, with unfailing consistency over the past 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 the wine:

The most widely available cuvée—the one the public is most likely to taste—is the Grand Cru Tradition cuvée, which offers an excellent glimpse into the Egly spirit. These are champagnes characterized by maturity, richness, and, above all, intense flavor.

About the estate:

Vines are like horses: if you want to truly master them, you have to nurture them from the start. As a skilled rider and breeder, Francis Egly owns a vineyard that is nearly 40 years old, built by his family around remarkable massal selections—the source of the rare flavor of his grapes and, consequently, his champagnes. For three generations, the family has built a portfolio of grand cru vineyards (9.7 ha) in Bouzy, Verzenay, and especially Ambonnay (7.7 ha), at the heart of the terroir. In premier cru (a vineyard inherited from his wife’s side), they own 2 ha of Pinot Meunier on the Vrigny terroir in the Marne Valley. Contrary to a Champagne industry that sells its bottles increasingly young, Francis Egly, following in the footsteps of his father Michel, patiently builds a treasure trove that allows him to release his non-vintage champagnes after four years of aging, and his vintage champagnes after more than six years. All wines have been vinified in barrels (since 1995) and without malolactic fermentation (since 1999) to preserve greater freshness. The disgorgement dates are listed on the back labels.