Egly-Ouriet

Ambonnay, Champagne, France The Champagne house of Egly-Ouriet is home to Francis Egly, a conscientious and skilled vigneron, who runs the estate with his father Michel, who inherited the vineyards from his own father, Charles. The domaine comprises about eight hectares of vines, all of which are located in vineyards classified as Grand Cru, mostly in Ambonnay (where Michel and Francis own 7.2 hectares), but also in Bouzy (a very small parcel of vines) and Verzenay (another 1.2 hectares), these all being villages with reputations for Pinot Noir. Egly-Ouriet is one of the original Grower Champagnes Wines, long before "Grower Champagne" was even part of wine vernacular. As such, Egly has earned a soft spot in the hearts of many Champagne groupies. This small estate claims 9.7 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards, mostly in Ambonnay (8ha), but also in Bouzy (0.3ha) and Verzenay (1.4ha). These vineyards are planted to 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. He also has a small (2ha) plot of 1er cru Pinot Meunier in the village of Vrigny. Throughout all the holdings, the vines average over forty five years of age. Francis Egly is one of the most conscientious, skilled vignerons in the entire region, and his vinous, terroir-expressive Champagnes are unique and incredible. In order to preserve the integrity of the base wines as much as possible, all wines are unfined and unfiltered - a somewhat unusual practice in Champagne. Once the assemblage is complete, all wines spend a minimum of three years on their yeasts, often significantly longer, resulting in rich, full-bodied Champagnes. The date of disgorgement can always be found on the back label.