Egly-Ouriet: Estate guide and presentation of vintages

Today, we're going to introduce you to one of our superb partner estates in Champagne: the Egly-Ouriet estate.

> All the Domaines guides

 

History of the domain :

Visit Champagne house Egly-Ouriet was born in 1945 after the Second World War. When Francis Egly's grandfather started out in the wine business with 3 hectares of vines in the Ambonnay Grand Cru, his descendants obtained by purchase or marriage the other 9 hectares, including the splendid Crayères parcel where the vines are sixty years old. The vineyard comprises a total of 10 hectares in the Grands Crus Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay, and 2 hectares in the Premier Cru Vrigny, with 2/3 Pinot Noir, and the remainder divided between Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The winemaking system uses stainless steel as well as wood, with barrels aged from 1 to 5 years in varying proportions depending on the cuvée. This is more important to Francis Egly, a winemaker who wants to let each terroir speak for itself, each grape variety, than to follow a basic recipe. According to Francis Egly: "Vines are like horses: if you want to master them, you have to give birth to them". He owns a vineyard that is almost 40 years old, built by his family around remarkable massal selections, which are the source of the rare flavor of his grapes and therefore of his champagnes. For three generations now, the family has built up a heritage of Grand Cru vineyards in Bouzy, Verzenay and mainly Ambonnay, in the heart of the terroir. In premier cru, they have pinot meunier on the Vrigny terroir in the Marne valley. It also has a champagne that sells its bottles backwards, younger and younger.

 

The modern era of the Egly-Ouriet house

Francis, following in his father Michel's footsteps, has built up a treasure trove that enables him to sell his Brut champagnes after 4 years' ageing and his vintages after 6 years. Since 1995, the wines have been vinified in barrels and, since 1999, without malolactic fermentation, to preserve their freshness. The Vrigny vines, as tonic and spongy as ever, define themselves as an invigorating champagne with a hint of herbs in this titling. The Brut Grand Cru, disgorged in October 2019, is meticulously crafted, offering a majestic expression of Pinots and Chardonnays from Ambonnay and Bouzy. It will be in perfect harmony with the table and the cellar. In terms of intensity, we have powerful, fruity flavors in the rosé, which spent 64 months in the cellar and was disgorged in November 2019; it is a profound representative of the grands crus of this color. Ambonnay's most intense expression is embodied in the blanc des noirs from lieu-dit Les Crayères, disgorged in October 2019 with a quintessential pinot noir, phenomenally spherical and deep in scope. In 2018, Francis Egly concludes for one of his greatest coteaux-champenois, a pinot noir with exceptional ripeness, coated with a magnificent clay feel and admirable delicacy. This is a great red worthy of the great Côte de Nuits crus.

 

The estate's great vintages:

 

• Champagne 1er Cru Vigne de Vrigny :

• Cuvée presentation The special feature of this cuvée is that it is made exclusively from old Pinot Meunier vines, with no other grape varieties. The grapes come exclusively from the Vrigny 1er Cru vineyard. It was bottled in 2017. The blend is composed of 50 % from the 2016 harvest, 30 % from the 2015 harvest and 20 % from the 2014 harvest. The dosage is 1 gram per liter. This champagne shows the full capacity of Francis Eglywhich allows the terroir to speak for itself thanks to a very light dosage.
• Tasting Pale gold color, with fine bubbles. The nose offers exotic notes that progress on the second nose to a touch of brioche. On the palate, it's creamy and sophisticated, with an effervescence that adds a touch of sapidity. It is quite voluminous on the palate, a good start for the Egly-Ouriet house. On the palate, notes of smoked almonds and toasted brioche, with a finely detailed pearl, accented by notes of dried white cherries, candied lemon zest and thyme that linger on the finish.
• Guard capacity 5 to 10 years depending on the quality of the vintage This cuvée can be drunk in its early years.

 

• Champagne Brut Grand Cru :

This initial ageing on lees, which lasts almost 1 year, means that we don't rush things, and the wines clarify slowly, just as they did in the old days. Vinification takes place entirely in barrels. It was bottled in 2016. The blend is composed of 70 % of Pinots Noirs and 30 % of Chardonnay. Concerning the harvest, 50 % of this crop was harvested in 2016, 20 % in 2014, 20 % in 2013, and 10 % in 2012. The dosage is 3 g/L. It has super pineapple and mango character on the nose and palate. It's both complex and fantastic.

 

• Champagne Brut Rosé : 

The wine is made entirely in barrel and was bottled in 2015. The blend is composed of 70% of Pinot Noir and 30% of Chardonay. The harvest was 50% in 2014, 30% in 2013 and 20 % of reserve wines in 2012, including 5 % of coteaux champenois. The dosage is 4 grams per liter. This cuvée releases opulent aromas and flavors of toasted nuts and brioche, apricots and raspberries, custard and crystallized honey. This champagne is also an expressive rosé, but the spine of acidity and the satiny mousse are finely integrated, giving it an elegant, full-bodied, elegant, elegant, elegant and full-bodied character.nce to the whole cuvée.

Aging potential: 3 to 8 years, depending on the quality of the vintage. Drinks well in its early years.

 

• Champagne Grand Cru VP Extra Brut:

Grand crus have the capacity to age well, and the personal taste and style of the house encourage us to move in this direction. After more than 7 years, this cuvée expresses all its power and elegance with a low dosage of 2g/L. Vinification is entirely in barrel. The blend is made up of 70 % pinot noir and 30 % chardonnay. 50% of the harvest was made in 2011 and 50 % in 2012. It has a moderate, light color, and a long, lingering expression on the palate, divided between citrus fruit and fine pastries. Serve it at a temperature of 12 degrees, and it goes perfectly with seafood or fish grilled a la plancha, or even with fish such as turbot.

 

Champagne Grand Cru Millésimé :

 

This is a lovely, well-balanced vintage offering notes of toasted almonds with great potential. Vinification is entirely in barrel, and bottling took place in 2012. Dosage is 1 g /L. The blend is made up of 70% pinot noir and 30 % chardonnay. It is made from Ambonnay grapes only. The bouquet is opulent and concentrated, the palate powerful and concentrated, full-bodied, complex, irresistibly dominant and remarkably persistent: a fascinating wine with a great future.

 

• Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes :

The grapes come from an old Pinot Noir vine planted in 1946. This vineyard is located on an exceptional terroir where the soil layer barely reaches 30 cm, with the chalk several dozen meters deep, hence the name "Les Crayères". The vines are firmly rooted in this chalk, which gives the wine both red fruit notes, thanks to the ripeness and concentration of these old Pinots, and a certain chalky minerality that gives the wine elegance and good ageing potential. Vinification is entirely in barrel. The bottling year is 2014, with 60 % harvested in 2013 and 40 % harvested in 2012. The dosage for this cuvée is 2 g/l.

We hope you have enjoyed this article on the finest cuvées of Champagne Egly-Ouriet. Don't hesitate to discover our Egly-Ouriet range in stock on our website:

> Champagne Egly Ouriet at the best price