Set amongst the rolling grasslands and hills of Ambonnay, the Egly family has been producing Champagne since the 1930s. Their holdings are small – only 29 acres total – yet precisely chosen, with mostly Grand Cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Verzenay, and Bouzy for their chardonnay and pinot noir holdings, and a bit of Premier Cru pinot meunier plantings from Vrigny. The rise in quality and reputation can be attributed to one man, Francis Egly. Named for the founder of the estate, from three generations prior, Francis has guided Egly-Ouriet’s transformation – from obscure grower house – to the pre-eminent Grower Champagne house.

“If 2008 chez Egly is a masterpiece of tightly coiled power and intensity, 2013 is the most elegant vintage I've tasted at this address, delivering a wine of striking concentration, yes, but also rare refinement and harmony. ” - William Kelley

Francis farms organically, and harvests the grapes by hand at full ripeness to ensure his vinous style. The grapes are pressed in a refrigerated, supremely delicate, press designed to limit the amount of oxygen that can enter the juice in the process. Fermentations are in both barrels and steel tanks, followed by exceptionally long aging (a minimum of 3-4 years on the lees) for all of his wines (and longer still for his top cuvees and vintage wines). Dosages are minimal – as a rule – and rarely approach 5 grams per liter. 

100 points really says a lot, but stylistically, here’s what you need to know. This beauty has a lean 2 grams dosage, and has spent an astounding 101 months on the lees. Advocate’s chief Champagne expert, William Kelley, had this to say: 

“Francis Egly has produced another profound Champagne with the 2013 Brut Grand Cru Millésime. If the monumental 2008 stands out for its power, structure and intensity, the 2013 is distinguished by its harmony, finesse and completeness; both vintages are very great wines but thus quite different in style. Wafting from the glass with scents of Anjou pear, crisp yellow apple, freshly baked bread, clear honey, iodine and fresh mint, it's full-bodied, ample and pillowy, with a layered, concentrated and effortlessly balanced core of fruit, uniting precision and sensuality to compelling effect. Girdled by racy acids and animated by a delicate pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish. Is this the most elegant wine Egly has produced to date? It's certainly among the most compelling that this high quality but initially underrated Champagne vintage has delivered.”

Worth noting too is his recommended drinking window – basically now with the potential for drinking as far down the road as 2050! That’s the level of intensity, complexity, and concentration we are talking about here. Impeccable, astounding, mind-altering stuff to be certain. For those able, this is certainly the pinnacle of a collectable Grower Champagne – and one that will only increase in prestige and value over the next three decades! Only 12 bottles to be shared!