Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut, Champagne

Vintages: 2020 (50%), 2019 (30%), 2018 (20%)

Bottling: 2021

Disgorgement: July 2025

Time on lees: 48 months
This is simply a stunning release. As always, it’s 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay exclusively from low-yielding Grand Cru vines, predominantly located in Ambonnay, but also in Bouzy and Verzenay. The old cliché—Egly starts harvesting when everyone else has finished—still holds true, and it’s obvious from the first sip that this wine is made from perfectly ripe fruit. The musts fermented with native yeasts, and the first period of maturation (before going to bottle) lasted almost one year, with the wine remaining on its fine lees the whole time. Over 50% of the wine fermented and matured in barrel.

It's a wine of great finesse, loaded with Pinot character—juicy red fruits and all kinds of spice—and a long, tonic close that’s chalky and saline. It’s a terrific food wine and will gain more and more depth over the next three to 12 months. It’s as good a release of this cuvée as we’ve tasted, so grab what you can! As we’ve said many times, if Egly made only this wine, he would still be one of the region's superstars; it puts to shame many a prestige cuvée at considerably higher prices. The 2020 base was bottled with 1 g/L and disgorged in July 2025.

Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut is a richly textured and deeply expressive Champagne that showcases the heart of Ambonnay through the hands of one of Champagne’s most revered grower producers. Francis Egly works exclusively with grand cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay, planted on intensely chalky soils that shape wines of power and precision. Pinot Noir forms the backbone, giving depth, savoury length and subtle tannic structure, while Chardonnay contributes brightness and definition. Natural fermentation, long élevage and extensive ageing on lees far beyond the regional minimum give this cuvée its signature vinous style and luxurious feel.

The aromatics are captivating and layered. Ripe orchard fruit, citrus curd and white peach blend with hazelnut, fresh brioche and almond pastry thanks to the prolonged time on lees. A cool mineral thread weaves through the bouquet, recalling wet chalk and crushed stone, alongside wisps of spice and dried flowers that evolve with air. The scent alone hints at both purity and depth.

The palate is concentrated, beautifully structured and wonderfully engaging. Flavours of pear, lemon zest, apple and peach skin glide over a creamy mousse that feels refined and savoury rather than simply fizzy. Nougat, toasted nuts and subtle pastry tones give complexity while bright acidity and chalky minerality tighten the finish, leaving a long, clean line of citrus and salt flecked precision. It is compelling now but can take on even greater nutty and textural richness with three to eight years of cellaring.

A brilliant match for roast chicken, sushi, scallops in butter, mushroom dishes or an indulgent cheese board featuring aged Comté. This is Champagne with gravitas and pleasure in equal measure: generous, deeply satisfying and unmistakably Egly-Ouriet.