Egly-Ouriet: stunning grower Champagnes from Ambonnay
Egly-Ouriet is a family estate founded by Francis Egly’s grandfather in Ambonnay. I met with Francis and his daughter Clémence to taste through some of their wines in London. This is a domaine I have been following for some time. Back in the day, when I was just getting into wine, the first ‘grower’ Champagne I encountered was Egly-Ouriet. This was in the mid-1990s, when grower Champagne wasn’t much of a thing, and the wines were stocked by Liz and Mike Berry of the fabulous La Vigneronne in South Kensington (which is now Handford Wines).

Francis is largely responsible for bringing the domaine to where it is today. He took over in 1982 and decided to bottle all the wines under the Egly-Ouriet name rather than selling them to negociants. The domaine started with no vineyards, and all the current vineyards have been purchased since then. There are two locations. The main one is Ambonnay, and they have 10 hectares in the grand cru area, in the villages of Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. They also have vineyards from his wife’s side, in Trigny. In the last few years they have increased their vineyard holdings and now have 20 hectares.
The philosophy of the house is to keep the wines on lees for a long time. This ranges from three to seven years for most of the wines, and up to nine years for the VP cuvée . ‘The complexity of the wine and the terroir expression increases with time on lees,’ says Francis. ‘We will never change this,’ he says, although adds that if it does change, they will go longer not shorter. Interestingly, although many of the wines are from a single vintage, they are labelled as NV.
THE WINES

Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Prémices NV France
12.5% alcohol. This is a third each of the classic varieties from a 3.5 hectare plot in Trigny, with the base wines aged in stainless steel. Base wine is 2019 and there is approximately 50% reserve wine in the blend. They bottle in July, as late as they can (they don’t use filtration, and use wild yeasts). Disgorged with 1 g/l dosage after 36 months on the lees. The reserve wines are kept as separate vintages, and separate terroirs, in tank. Complex aromatics with nuts, toast, aniseed and a touch of wax. This has nice weight on the palate with rich citrus and pear fruit and a slight salinity. Ripe, textural and nicely complex. This might be their entry-level wine, but it’s fantastic. 93/100

Champagne Egly-Ouriet Vignes de Vrigny 1er Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. This is actually 2019 vintage and is 100% Pinot Meunier, base wine wild-ferment in tank, with a 2 g/l dosage. 36 months on lees, disgorged July 2023. Lively and intense, and really fresh. This has good power and complexity with lime and mandarin notes. Such precision with delicious fruit and real complexity. 94/100

Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Bisseuil 1er Cru NV France
This is 2018, aged 51 months on lees, 2 g/litre dosage. It’s a new wine for Egly-Ouriet, from a 1.5 hectare vineyard they bought 10 years ago, next to Ay, but this is the first release because the vineyards were still rented out for a while. 70% Chardonnay and the rest is half/half Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Barrel fermented base wine. Despite the higher than normal Chardonnay content this is still Egly in style. Powerful and lively with lovely depth of flavour: spice, crystalline citrus, a hint of salinity, with depth and concentration but also freshness. Very fine. 95/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru NV France
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, with 50% 2018, 30% 2017, 20% 2016. 90% Ambonnay, then 10% Bouzy and Verzenay. Wild ferment in barrel, 10% new, aged 48 months on the lees and then disgorged with dosage of 1g/litre. Complex, intense and fine with powerful lemon and lime, as well as some cherry and apple. Notes of toast, aniseed and a touch of wax. Precise and linear with good concentration and great precision. Profound. 96/100

Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru V.P. NV France
12.5% alcohol. VP stands for viellissement prolongé, and this wine spends 84 months on the lees. It’s 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay and it’s bottled with 3 g/l dosage. Taut, complex nose of pear, apple and toast with marzipan and some linear citrus fruits. Great precision with concentrated citrus notes, a hint of cherry, and lovely focus. Finishes slightly salty, with great harmony. 96/100

Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Crayères Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. This is 100% Pinot Noir and spends 72 months on lees (this is 2016). It’s an old Pinot Fin selection, and this plot in Ambonnay was planted in 1946/7 on very chalky soils. Francis says it’s like a Montrachet with bubbles. Powerful, rich and expressive with toast and cherry, as well as some herbs. Lovely fruit intensity with good acidity. So fresh but also has depth. 94/100
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Coteaux Champenois Cuvée des Grands Côtes 2015 France
This is a special selection of old plots in Ambonnay, from deeper soils. They prune shorter, do a green harvest, pick later and then élevage is in barrels for almost two years. Sweetly fruited and quite rich with some mellowness, and hints of mint and some meat, as well as a sweet core of cherry and berry fruits. Nice detail here. 93/100
Older notes:
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Millésime Brut 2008 France
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Tasted blind. Apple, marzipan and honey on the nose, showing some richness. The palate is focused and linear with cherry and almond, as well as fine spiciness. Broad and harmonious with apply richness but also lovely balance and acidity. 94/100 (12/22)
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut NV France
50 months on lees. Disgorged September 2019. Broad and complex on the nose with toast and ripe pear notes. Some apricot and nuts, too. Rich and weighty on the palate: rich without being viscous with nice crystalline fruit. Such concentration. Mineral and pristine. 94/100 (03/20 at Noble Rot)
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. I had this particular wine in the outdoor bath tub at the accommodation I was staying at in Golden Bay, at the top of South Island, New Zealand. From Ambonnay, Bouxy and Verzenay. 48 months on lees, disgorged July 2016. Very fine and detailed with lovely citrus and apple core, as well as some pear and nut richness. It’s quite dry and complex with fine herbs and juicy acidity. Grown up and sophisticated, this is fruit-driven but four years on the lees and another 11 months in bottle has given the first signs of toasty maturity. 93/100 (06/17)
Champagne Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru NV France
12.5% alcohol. Warmly aromatic with hints of apricot and toast, as well as ripe apple and almonds. Taut, fresh, powerful palate with apple and pear fruit, as well as some warm toastiness. Very fresh, precise and dry. An intellectual Champagne of great appeal. 93/100 (02/12)
UK agent: Lea & Sandeman