Francis Egly has been making wine at this renowned Ambonnay estate since 1982 and is widely regarded as the greatest vitivulturalist grower in all of Champagne - with the quality of his production only eclipsed by the iconic Jacques Selosse. As with all great French growers the Egly philosophy can be defined by one word: terroir. Very low yields, old vines, exceptional sites, perfectly ripe fruit, extended lees aging (the Brut NV can spend up to 48 months on lees), very low or no dosage and no fining or filtration. These are all decisions Egly makes because he believes they allow his terroir to speak most clearly. These practices are identical to the finest growers in Burgundy and the polar opposite of conventional Champagne production which is based heavily on blending to produce specific house styles. Egly-Ouriet only produces wines from its own vines with a focus on black grapes (Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier).
There are close to 10 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards which predominantly reside in Ambonnay but also in Verzenay and Bouzy. There are two hectares of Pinot Meunier in the 1er Cru village of Vrigny that gives the coveted 100% Pinot Meunier Les Vignes de Vrigny. You will find Egly Ouriet in many of the most divine restaurants around the world and we suggest you actively add them to your collection and benchmark against the bigger names.
We will leave you with this quote from respected wine critic Antonio Galloni, “These are among the purest, unmanipulated Champagnes readers will come across.”