Egly-OurietChampagneGrandCruBlancdeNoirsVieillesVignes

Regarded among the pioneers of the Grower Champagne movement, Francis Egly remains today one of its most authoritative voices. Joined by his daughter Clémence, they craft Champagnes of astonishing richness, power and remarkable capacity to age, predominantly from old-vine Pinot Noir grapes across the Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay, Verzenay and Bouzy.This cuvée is made with 100% Pinot Noir from the estate’s oldest vines, planted in 1946â€?947. The terroir of this vineyard is exceptional, with incredibly shallow topsoil (barely 30cm) over a bedrock of pure limestone extending for several dozen meters â€?hence the name of the lieu-dit “Les Crayèresâ€? The vines are therefore deeply rooted in this chalk, giving the wine both red fruit notes thanks to the maturity and concentration of these old vines, and a chalky minerality that brings elegance and great aging potential. As all Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru cuvées, this is entirely vinified in barrel and undergo a first aging on lees for almost one year before bottling, allowing the wines to clarify slowly â€?just as things were done in the past.Bottled in 2019, it is a blend of 50% 2018 harvest, 50% 2017 harvest. Disgorged in 2025. Dosage 1 g/l.97/100 â€?A golden yellow color, the NV Champagne Grand Cru Blancs De Noirs Les Crayeres Vieilles Vignes Extra Brut is base 2018, with six years on the lees before disgorgement. Long and sustained on the palate, it captures the power of place, originating as it does from Les Crayeres with its very old Pinot Noir vines, and it has remarkable depth of fruit. It’s fleshy, ripe, and long, but it has freshness, and while it’s fantastic now, but it should have no problem improving over the coming 20 years. This is fabulous. â€?Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com