The "grower" house of Egly-Ouriet is, of course, justly famous for crafting distinctively vinous Champagnes of striking concentration and complexity. We at Hi-Time have been Egly-Ouriet supporters for more than three decades and, over the years, have become particularly enamored with their "Les Crayères" Blanc de Noirs. This rare Egly bottling is one of Champagne's most masterful black-grape expressions and is one that certainly belongs in the same league as the très cher Bollinger Blanc de Noirs VVF and Krug's "Clos d'Ambonnay." "Les Crayères" is a south-facing vineyard located on the eastern flank of Ambonnay's vinous amphitheater. The lieu-dit's vines average 70 years of age, and this site is notable for its extremely thin, one-foot-deep topsoil, which is underlain by a deep layer of white chalk.
Egly-Ouriet is currently offering a 2017-based version of their Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru; however, this offering is from a small "reserve stash" that we imported directly from a European cellar and is fashioned mostly from the classic 2014 vintage, blended with a generous dollop from 2013. The Pinot Noir base wines were fermented with indigenous yeasts, with partial malolactic fermentation, in French oak barrels. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration in July 2015 and then aged on the lees for 74 months before being disgorged in September 2021 and finished with a minimal dosage of 2 g/L.
The Champagne has now received five additional years of aging on the cork, which has really enabled this prodigious bottle to hit its full stride. As the remarks below from Champagne authority Tyson Stelzer suggest, this bottle's effusive aromas and abundant flavor complexities are truly evocative of a Grand Cru Burgundy with bubbles. For all fans of great Champagne, as well as lovers of Pinot Noir, this bottle presents a not-to-be-missed opportunity. We should also point out that, thanks to our direct importation, our price is the best on the market.
THE CHAMPAGNE GUIDE 96 POINTS-"An anthem to Pinot Noir, the depth and complexity on parade in the 2014/2013 blend are of Grand Cru Burgundian proportions, and richer, riper and more suculent than ever, welling up from a deep core of mrabelle plum and fig, erupting with hedonistic layers of fruit mince spice, roast almond butter, even sublte truffle, and the charcuterie nuances of barrel fermentation. In sheer volume, depth and perisistence, this cuvee pushes Champagne into another world. Yet, crucially and mesmerisingly, it is never for a moment heavy or blowsy, pulled exactingly into tight line by gorgeous, bright, dyanmic yet ripe and generous acidity. With barely a foot of topsoil before the chalk, the mineral character of this hallowed site speaks articulately on a scintillating finish of fantastic length and poise, contrasting chalk mineral brilliance with magnificently succulent fruit presence. The essence of Pinot Noir and Egly-Ouriet."
DECANTER MAGAZINE 96 POINTS-"Initially reticent upon release, this cuvée's explosive, char-fuelled energy of fruits of the forest, dried apple and subtle roasted spices is delivered with a beautifully measured intensity, saturated with flavour before its drying, stony close. Highly expressive, yet still under considerable tension; for all its outgoing aromatics, there's a beguiling inner finesse here. Made from 100% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, based on 2014 with reserves from 2013. Fermented in barrel, disgorged in September 2021."
Egly-Ouriet is currently offering a 2017-based version of their Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru; however, this offering is from a small "reserve stash" that we imported directly from a European cellar and is fashioned mostly from the classic 2014 vintage, blended with a generous dollop from 2013. The Pinot Noir base wines were fermented with indigenous yeasts, with partial malolactic fermentation, in French oak barrels. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration in July 2015 and then aged on the lees for 74 months before being disgorged in September 2021 and finished with a minimal dosage of 2 g/L.
The Champagne has now received five additional years of aging on the cork, which has really enabled this prodigious bottle to hit its full stride. As the remarks below from Champagne authority Tyson Stelzer suggest, this bottle's effusive aromas and abundant flavor complexities are truly evocative of a Grand Cru Burgundy with bubbles. For all fans of great Champagne, as well as lovers of Pinot Noir, this bottle presents a not-to-be-missed opportunity. We should also point out that, thanks to our direct importation, our price is the best on the market.
THE CHAMPAGNE GUIDE 96 POINTS-"An anthem to Pinot Noir, the depth and complexity on parade in the 2014/2013 blend are of Grand Cru Burgundian proportions, and richer, riper and more suculent than ever, welling up from a deep core of mrabelle plum and fig, erupting with hedonistic layers of fruit mince spice, roast almond butter, even sublte truffle, and the charcuterie nuances of barrel fermentation. In sheer volume, depth and perisistence, this cuvee pushes Champagne into another world. Yet, crucially and mesmerisingly, it is never for a moment heavy or blowsy, pulled exactingly into tight line by gorgeous, bright, dyanmic yet ripe and generous acidity. With barely a foot of topsoil before the chalk, the mineral character of this hallowed site speaks articulately on a scintillating finish of fantastic length and poise, contrasting chalk mineral brilliance with magnificently succulent fruit presence. The essence of Pinot Noir and Egly-Ouriet."
DECANTER MAGAZINE 96 POINTS-"Initially reticent upon release, this cuvée's explosive, char-fuelled energy of fruits of the forest, dried apple and subtle roasted spices is delivered with a beautifully measured intensity, saturated with flavour before its drying, stony close. Highly expressive, yet still under considerable tension; for all its outgoing aromatics, there's a beguiling inner finesse here. Made from 100% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay, based on 2014 with reserves from 2013. Fermented in barrel, disgorged in September 2021."
