Why it matters
A family grower with time on its side
Egly-Ouriet began with about three hectares in Ambonnay. Francis Egly took over in the early 1980s and chose to bottle the family's wine under its own name instead of selling the fruit to négociants. His children, Clémence and Charles, are now involved at the domaine.
The estate has since grown to about 20 hectares, but its centre of gravity remains old Pinot Noir vines and long cellar ageing. Even the Brut Grand Cru, which accounts for roughly half of production, spends years rather than months on its lees.
Place and vineyards
Ambonnay at the centre
Grand cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Verzenay and Bouzy provide the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay used across much of the range. Vrigny adds premier cru Pinot Meunier, bottled on its own as Vignes de Vrigny.
Les Crayères is the sharpest expression of the estate's old-vine focus: Pinot Noir planted in 1946 on pure chalk in Ambonnay.
In the cellar
Gentle pressing, then patience
Only the first pressing is kept. Fermentation uses indigenous yeasts, with wine raised in a mix of barrel and tank. Sulphur is kept low, and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
Most cuvées spend three to seven years on the lees. Grand Cru V.P. can reach nine years, while dosage generally sits between 2 and 5 grams per litre.
Wines to know
A range built around village and vine
Brut Grand Cru brings together older-vine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Ambonnay, Verzenay and Bouzy. Vignes de Vrigny turns to Pinot Meunier, while Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Les Crayères comes from the 1946 Pinot Noir parcel in Ambonnay.
Grand Cru V.P. Extra Brut is the long-aged cuvée in the range. The domaine also makes Ratafia de Champagne.
A useful way in
Begin with Brut Grand Cru
Brut Grand Cru is the most useful starting point because it sits at the heart of the estate. The blend is 70 percent Pinot Noir and 30 percent Chardonnay from older vines in three grand cru villages, with at least three years in bottle before release.