Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs "Les Crayeres" Vielles Vignes [Base 17+16, Disg Jul 24] / NV / 750mL

Yet another striking release of this wine, this is, as always, made exclusively from Grand Cru vines predominantly in Ambonnay, but also Bouzy and Verzenay. Again, as always, it’s 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from low-yielding, perfectly tended vines and from grapes that have been harvested fully ripe. The old cliché—Egly starts harvesting when everyone else has finished—still holds true. Natural fermentation was with wild yeasts only and the first period of maturation (before going to bottle) lasted almost one year, with the wine remaining on its fine lees for the whole time. Over 50% of the wine was fermented and aged in oak casks. The wine clarifies slowly and naturally—as was once typical across the region—and as such there was no fining nor filtration. The dosage was at two grams per litre, so extra-brut territory. 

Although this has just landed (and is therefore still tightly wound), it already offers waves of golden Pinot fruit and a dry, extract-rich, tonic close that’s nutty and saline. Super long, it’s a terrific food wine and will gain more and more depth over the next three-twelve months.  

Even with this wine we are already soaring to remarkable heights of quality. If Egly made only this Brut, he would still be one of the superstars of the region. Yes, the price has risen over the years, but by today’s standards, it remains fairly priced. To put things bluntly, it’s a wine that puts to shame many a prestige cuvée at considerably higher prices. 

“Based on the 2017 vintage, Egly’s NV Brut Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with aromas of pear, freshly baked bread, lemon zest, tangerine and praline. Full-bodied, layered and elegantly muscular, with terrific concentration, racy acids and chalky structure, it concludes with a long, gently honeyed finish. Egly has always been enthusiastic about the quality of his Ambonnay fruit in 2017, and this bottling certainly validates his early confidence.”
92 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

Time on lees: 48 months