2011 Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru Millesime Champagne

Winemaker Notes:  Egly-Ouriet produces vinous, terroir expressive, Champagne primarily from the noble Grand Cru village of Ambonnay (the top village for Pinot Noir in Champagne), where he is widely regarded as the finest grower. Owner and winemaker Francis Egly took over from his father in 1982, after which he immediately converted the domaine to 100% estate bottling, and in the process became one the original pioneers in the grower Champagne movement. Since that time, Francis’ reputation has grown to where he is now known as one of Champagne’s top producers. The domaine is comprised of organically farmed old vine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay—50 years old on average – from some of the most prized vineyards in all of Champagne, including the famed Les Crayères in Ambonnay. Egly’s wines are aged extensively on the lees (up to 10 years) that lend the wines a distinctively vinous quality. As Peter Liem describes them, “If there are any Champagnes that fit the often-used description of “Burgundy with bubbles”, Egly-Ouriet’s would be the leading candidates.” It is clear the wines of Egly-Ouriet stand at the summit of intense, complex, and texturally precise Champagnes.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Disgorged in July 2020 with only one gram per liter dosage, Francis Egly's 2011 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is a brilliant wine from a frequently dismissed vintage. Unfurling in the glass with scents of golden orchard fruit, buttery pastry, dried mango, clear honey and praline, it's full-bodied, muscular and vinous, with a broad, textural attack that segues into a deep, concentrated core. Built around bright acids and complemented by a pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a long, sapid finish. In a blind tasting, this is one of a small handful of wines that would be unrecognizable as 2011s, a year that was evidently an acid test for Champenois viticulturists."