Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Brut NV

- 96 Punkte JAMES SUCKLING: „Tight, almost austere. Very chalky and mineral, showing strawberries and fresh apples with tarte tatin complexity. Violets, ginger and vibrant citrus as well. Medium-bodied with pinprick bubbles and some vinous character on the structured palate. Depth, energy and singed-bread flavors. Refined finish. 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay. So elegant. Drink or hold.“

- 18 Punkte Jancis Robinson: „Fruit from grands crus Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. Barrel-fermented with indigenous yeast. Unfiltered. 48 months sur lattes. Disgorged July 2023. Dosage 1 g/l.
Every time I lift this glass, I smell something else. At first it was toasted oats; then nectarines; then lemongrass. It's instantly obvious that it's more powerful, driven, intentional than Les Prémices. The timbre drops from alto to tenor, on the cusp of baritone. The cadence lengthens. The dynamics intensify. The wine is dramatically creamy with deep caramelised undertones, an adagio of brûlée swirled through the cream, through the peach purée of fruit, past the toasted-hazelnut crunch. It's complex and magnificent, demanding time, attention, and preferably a rare, marbled steak (from regeneratively farmed, pasture-raised beef). 2024-2034.“

- 94 Punkte Gismondi on Wine: „One of the forerunners of the grower champagne movement, Egly-Ourier is based in Ambonnay, with 4th generation Francis Egly farming their old vines organically and biodynamically. Brut Tradition (newer labels just say Brut) blends 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, predominantly from Ambonnay with the rest coming from Grand Crus Verzenay and Bouzy. Roughly half is reserve wines, and all was native fermented and aged in barrel (10% new) with no MLF, and it went into bottle unfined and unfiltered. This spent 48 months on lees prior to disgorge with 1 g/L. Pouring a golden hue, this powerful champagne is centred on deep chalk, with savoury lees, strident lemon pith and peel, and wafts of iodine woven throughout. Quite profound, this is a contemplative and uncompromising Champagne.“