Egly-OurietAmbonnay, Montagne de Reims
Producer profile
PL "Jacques Selosse, Jérôme Prévost, and Egly-Ouriet are three of the best grower estates in Champagne" and Egly-Ouriet is "arguably Ambonnay's finest grower estate." Francis Egly has been making wine since 1982. He has 8 hectares in Ambonnay, 2 hectares in Bouzy and Verzenay, and 2 more in Vrigny, planted with meunier that he uses to make the "savory and generously textured" Les Vignes de Vrigny. Egly "harvests at unusually high level of ripeness, aided by old vines and low yields", and vinifies half of the production in Burgundy barrels. Egly's champagnes are powerful and rich, capable of great complexity and finesse. Dosage is extremely low, between 1 and 3g, "which adds to the uncompromising personality of these wines." NV Brut Tradition is "vibrant and densely flavored", composed of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay. Brut Rosé is a similar blend with 8% of red wine. The rest of the range is pure Ambonnay. V.P. (vieillissement prolongé) Extra Brut is aged five to six years on the lees. The vintage Brut is aged even longer, up to a decade prior to the release. The estate's finest wine is Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru, made from the old pinot noir vines planted in the chalky Les Crayères parcel in 1946. It is a "powerful and bold" wine, demonstrating "intense chalkiness and soil-driven complexity." Egly also makes a still red Ambonnay Rouge called Cuvée des Grands Côtés, "one of the deepest and most concentrated red wines made in Champagne" with "luscious fruit and lavish oak." Supplies red wine for Selosse's Rosé. Member of Trait-d-Union. TyS 10/10 and a raving write-up. "Some in Champagne can achieve grandeur of dizzying proportions, and the most talented can summon delicacy of light-footed grace, but no village marries the two as effortlessly as Ambonnay, and no practitioner as masterfully as Francis Egly. His fabled domain enjoys a cult status shared by no other grower on the Montagne de Reims. This tiny, pristine operation deserves its acclaim." "These are ravishingly vinous wines, consistently among the most exactingly balanced of Champagne's power set, handcrafted by a creative, thoughtful artisan who painstakingly tends his vines naturally to full maturity." Francis is "a man of generous warmth, careful precision, and quietly spoken confidence, just like his champagnes." "Seek out at every possible opportunity." ToS 88 "Under Francis Egly's wing this house has rightfully risen to cult status." "The wines are fleshy, deep and refreshed by bright acidity." This producer does not have a website.
PL "Jacques Selosse, Jérôme Prévost, and Egly-Ouriet are three of the best grower estates in Champagne" and Egly-Ouriet is "arguably Ambonnay's finest grower estate." Francis Egly has been making wine since 1982. He has 8 hectares in Ambonnay, 2 hectares in Bouzy and Verzenay, and 2 more in Vrigny, planted with meunier that he uses to make the "savory and generously textured" Les Vignes de Vrigny. Egly "harvests at unusually high level of ripeness, aided by old vines and low yields", and vinifies half of the production in Burgundy barrels. Egly's champagnes are powerful and rich, capable of great complexity and finesse. Dosage is extremely low, between 1 and 3g, "which adds to the uncompromising personality of these wines." NV Brut Tradition is "vibrant and densely flavored", composed of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay. Brut Rosé is a similar blend with 8% of red wine. The rest of the range is pure Ambonnay. V.P. (vieillissement prolongé) Extra Brut is aged five to six years on the lees. The vintage Brut is aged even longer, up to a decade prior to the release. The estate's finest wine is Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru, made from the old pinot noir vines planted in the chalky Les Crayères parcel in 1946. It is a "powerful and bold" wine, demonstrating "intense chalkiness and soil-driven complexity." Egly also makes a still red Ambonnay Rouge called Cuvée des Grands Côtés, "one of the deepest and most concentrated red wines made in Champagne" with "luscious fruit and lavish oak." Supplies red wine for Selosse's Rosé. Member of Trait-d-Union. TyS 10/10 and a raving write-up. "Some in Champagne can achieve grandeur of dizzying proportions, and the most talented can summon delicacy of light-footed grace, but no village marries the two as effortlessly as Ambonnay, and no practitioner as masterfully as Francis Egly. His fabled domain enjoys a cult status shared by no other grower on the Montagne de Reims. This tiny, pristine operation deserves its acclaim." "These are ravishingly vinous wines, consistently among the most exactingly balanced of Champagne's power set, handcrafted by a creative, thoughtful artisan who painstakingly tends his vines naturally to full maturity." Francis is "a man of generous warmth, careful precision, and quietly spoken confidence, just like his champagnes." "Seek out at every possible opportunity." ToS 88 "Under Francis Egly's wing this house has rightfully risen to cult status." "The wines are fleshy, deep and refreshed by bright acidity." This producer does not have a website.
Tasting notes
Les Vignes de Vrigny. Disgorged in July 2019 after 36 months on the lees. Deep warm yellow. The scent carries delicious lactic creaminess and sweetness with a faint toasty nuance, bringing to mind clotted cream and baked milk. At the same time, there is a kind of dusty minerality, especially in Jancis glass, conjuring up a sunlit quarry and a drying blackboard. The taste is a little straightforward and neutral, although the impression improves in Zalto Bordeaux glass. Purchased at Gordon's in autumn 2020 for $54. ⭐⭐
Millésime 2006. 106 months (almost 9 years!) on the lees, disgorged in May 2016. Deeply aureate with exceptionally fine bead. Dry, vinous, with high-toned acidity and a special fresh-air quality. Assuredly sophisticated and multi-dimensional on the palate. Fabulous mesmeric aromatics, astounding. Macadamias, ticklish oak. Vocal from Zalto Universal and a bit less from Burgundy. Oak integration here is more to my taste than in Lassaigne's Colline Inspirée. One of the more expensive champagnes I've had and yet still a good value for the indisputable sophistication it exudes and the sheer pleasure it delivers. Frissons, shivers of delight! Purchased at Gordon's in autumn 2021 for $120. ⭐⭐⭐
Brut Tradition. Disgorged in November 2017 after 52 months (4+ years) on the lees. Starts out with some soapy funk but that quickly dissipates. Misshapen and pushy cork but smells clean. Effusively musseaux with waves and walls of bubbles. Perhaps the most effervescent bottle I've had. Patinated yellow robe, trending towards brown shades, ungreen. Dry, vinous, substantive wine that feels fresh after several years in the bottle. Purchased at Spirited Gourmet in spring 2021 for $72. ⭐
All photos and tasting notes are by @gaiwanstyle
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)