Egly-Ouriet: Champagne with the label sold out
Before introducing one of the most talked about Champagne Houses and giving more details about it, we at Lambier Wines would like to emphasize that the sale of Egly-Ouriet wines is on an allocated system.
This means that the number of bottles available is strictly limited and you should contact us directly to purchase.
At Lambier Wines we strive to make sure that every bottle of Egly-Ouriet wine finds its rightful owner. It is important to us that these exclusive wines end up with those who understand their uniqueness and high quality.
Established: 1930
Annual production: 100,000 bottles
Principal vineyards: Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzenay, Vrigny, Trigny, Bisseuil
Signature wines: Brut Grand Cru, 'V.P' Extra Brut, Millésime
The year 2023 presented significant challenges for Champagne with issues like botrytis, rot, and vine desiccation. Only the best-equipped and most meticulous vineyards could navigate these difficulties without a scratch.
Francis Egly is one such vintner.
Egly represents the fourth generation of estate owners of a 10-hectare property predominantly planted with Pinot Noir in the village of Ambonnay (Grand Cru) on the southern slopes of Montagne de Reims, the northernmost subregion of Champagne.
Additional parcels are located in neighboring Bouzy and on the northern slopes of Verzenay. The vineyards of Egly's wife, Annick, have also been incorporated into the estate, enabling the creation of two wines from the Reims area: 'Les Vignes de Vrigny'—a Pinot Meunier from the sandy soils of Vrigny in Petite Montagne, and 'Les Prémices', from plots of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay in Trigny, slightly further north in the St Thierry massif.
In 2016, Egly acquired a significant vineyard predominantly planted with Chardonnay, situated on the chalky, south-facing terrain of Bisseuil (also on the southern side of Montagne). Egly describes the Bisseuil vineyard as being "similar to Ambonnay" due to its pronounced chalkiness and southern exposure. Located adjacent to the renowned village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Bisseuil is a village that perhaps deserves greater recognition.
Egly owns mostly Chardonnay here, although he believes that the unusual predominance of Chardonnay in this village is more commercially driven than terroir-based: "Previously, Chardonnay fetched higher prices than Pinot Noir here, which led to replanting."
Egly-Ouriet operates as a récoltant-manipulant, or grower-producer (often abbreviated as RM on their wine labels), overseeing a diverse array of villages, terroirs, and grape varieties. It might be assumed that Egly would consider creating a basic-level blend that represents the entire estate, similar to the approach of a small house.
"We have never been tempted to make a blend," Egly states. While they do produce a blend for their Brut Grand Cru from Grand Cru villages, the idea of blending these with historically lower-rated villages does not appeal to them. At Egly-Ouriet, they prefer to keep these areas separate to preserve their distinctive character.
An avant-garde approach
Modern single-varietal Pinot Meunier wines are now a significant element of independent Champagne, with many winemakers in the Petite Montagne and Vallée de la Marne producing cuvées celebrating this slightly underrated grape variety.
However, Egly began producing its Les Vignes de Vrigny cuvée back in 2000, when the situation in the region looked different and Pinot Meunier was used exclusively in blended wines. Champagne house Egly-Ouriet was one of the first to produce such wines.
Egly is not prone to lyrical or philosophical reflections on his wines, but it is clear that he treats this cuvée with special trepidation.
In the 2010s, when both this wine and the Brut Grand Cru began to enjoy increasing demand, it became necessary to introduce a new cuvée to the portfolio: Les Prémices.
Les Prémices: Introductory Cuvée
North of Vrigny, skirting the western tip of Reims, the Petite Montagne is left behind and the St Thierry massif begins to appear on the horizon. This northernmost part of Champagne is little known except to true enthusiasts.
Pinot Meunier thrives in these cooler villages, tucked away from the main roads on marl-sandy soils. Similar to the nearby Ardre Valley, the gentle slopes offer more variety than Petite Montagne.
In the village of Trigny, where the 3.5-hectare vineyard was taken over by Egly through his wife, all three grape varieties are grown, and the first harvest was in 2016.
Over the last decade, Egly-Ouriet wines have largely become available on pre-order or allocated, and so the arrival of Les Prémices is a way of getting to know the wines. The size of the vineyard at Trigny is roughly the sum of Vrigny (2 hectares) and Bisseuil (1.3 hectares), making it an important addition to the estate.
This is an eagerly anticipated opportunity to taste Egly-Ouriet wine for those who have previously often been confronted with the label "sold out".
On climate challenges and hard work
Champagne, as a region, is keen to share its experience of adapting to climate change, difficult harvests, and advanced winemaking techniques. However, Egly, a master of his craft with a focus on quality over quantity, provides a sarcastic alternative:
"The only thing that's changed is that I've started buying airline tickets for earlier dates," he jokes, pointing out that early harvests allow him to go on summer vacations earlier.
Egly comments, "We're not harvesting a more mature crop. The difference is that others who weren't harvesting mature crops before are now starting to do so."
The work in the winery seems simple: grand cru wines undergo fermentation in oak barrels without the strict rules of malolactic fermentation, while wines from Trigny, Vrigny, and Bisseuil are fermented in steel tanks. For non-vintage releases, young reserve wines from the last two or three vintages are added, which often make up about 50% of the blend. The depth and richness of these wines are achieved through the quality of the vineyards rather than using large quantities of old reserves. Aging on lees is slow and patient: three to four years for non-vintage wines, seven or more years for an outstanding VP cuvée, and six or more years for vintage wines.
Vineyard operations have long been a key feature of the Egly estate, including careful tillage, yield control, and continued attention to grape maturity and health, which is especially important in challenging years such as 2011.
While Egly does not adhere to organic or biodynamic certification, long-term avoidance of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers is a natural choice to improve the quality and ripeness of the grapes, rather than striving for environmental certifications.
This approach requires a responsive team of grape growers. Although Petite Montagne is only a 20-minute drive away, Egly has a team of three staff members dedicated to the local sites and can adapt quickly to the different conditions on the other side of the mountain.
It is wines from lesser-known vintages that contribute to Egly's reputation. However, this requires patience: although the wines are aged for a fair amount of time after degorgement, they often have not yet reached their peak quality at release.
The full aromatic depth and resonance of the wines develop during aging under cork; perhaps one year for Les Prémices, two or more for other non-vintage wines, and considerably longer for Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru and vintage wines.
Much like the patience shown by Egly over the past four decades, a little extra waiting before opening these wines is also worth the wait.