Amongst Champagne lovers, Egly-Ouriet is a name that needs no introduction. 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. Francis farms organically, and harvests the grapes by hand at full ripeness to ensure his vinous style that famed Champagne critic Peter Liem calls “Burgundy with bubbles”. And it truly is just that. I don’t know how Francis does what he does, but he does it. This tete de cuvee is a wine that I’ve been fortunate to taste before but with his meteoric rise to the upper elite in the Champagne world – the wine has become a bit too rich for my blood – until now! This excellent price has allowed me to add a new top gem to my collection – and I can’t recommend enough that you make one your own, too! 

To make this and other wines, Francis presses his grapes in a refrigerated press designed to limit the amount of oxygen that can enter the juice in the process. He ferments in both barrels and steel tanks, followed by exceptionally long aging – a minimum of 3 to 4 years on the lees – for all of his wines, and longer still for his top cuvees, like this one. He uses little to no dosage to ensure that the expression of the fruit comes first. He began using organic methods in the vineyards, with regular ploughing and reduced yields. Once the grapes enter his cellar, Francis makes sure to only allow for the gentlest possible extraction, of which he only keeps the purest first pressing (known as the cuvée). Francis believes deeply that complexity and structure come not only from perfect fruit but also from extended lees aging. All of this meticulous work in both vineyard and cellar has led to his standing by his peers, critics and Champagne lovers across the world as one of the greatest growers in all of France.

97 points really says a lot, but stylistically, here’s what you need to know. This beauty has a lean 1 gram dosage, and has spent an astounding 99 months on the lees. Wine Advocate calls this, “a strikingly vinous and enveloping Champagne … Full-bodied, satiny and layered, its textural attack segues into a deep, concentrated mid-palate of exceptional purity and cut, concluding with a long, penetrating and mouthwateringly saline finish.” A polished blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay from Ambonnay’s best Grand Cru plots, it evokes sensations of ripe D’Anjou pear, with some fresh-from-the-oven croissants, slivered almonds, raw honey, elephant heart plums, and the lightest touch of fresh mint, with a velvety soft mousse and toe-tingling finish. 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 coming years!