Egly-Ouriet Brut Champagne Grand Cru (formerly Tradition) NV

94-96 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(70% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay; 70% Ambonnay and the remainder Bouzy, Verzenay and Verzy; entirely wild fermented and aged in oak casks; aged 4 years on lees; 2g/L dosage; 50-60,000 bottles). Formerly named 'Brut Tradition' when it was effectively the entry non-vintage of the house, now ascending the ranks (not least in price) with not only Vignes de Vrigny below it but now also Les Prémices and Les Vignes de Bisseuil. Nonetheless, this is where Egly proper commences, from its glorious home slopes of Ambonnay and surrounding grand crus of the south-eastern and north-eastern Montagne de Reims. The mesmerising depth and fragrance of pinot noir triumphs in the hands of Egly, even in the challenging 2017 base vintage. Deep black and red cherry fruit is bathed in spice and all the texture and mystique of barrel fermentation, accented with a nuance of charcuterie. Chalk minerality and vibrant acidity drive a long finish. The 2016 base has delivered a brilliant, signature Egly, the essence of Ambonnay and of Egly-Ouriet. This fabled grower is distinguished for his ability to preserve exacting precision and outstanding chalk mineral focus in the midst of magnificent generosity. This is a vinous wine of calm authority, carrying the full grandeur and complexity of carefully tended, old-vine pinot noir on four of Champagne’s most revered grand crus, with the reverberating depth of Ambonnay and Bouzy freshened with the lift of Verzenay and Verzy. Testimony to Egly's fanatical attention to detail this release is fresher and more pure than ever, and yet more complex too, basking in the textural presence of long lees age. It's alive with fantastic red cherry purity and rose petal fragrance, framed in brilliant chalk mineral freshness and wonderful acid drive that carries a sensational finish of brilliant line and length. (Edition VII; 2024)"

94 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Based on 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, the NV Grand Cru Brut has a killer nose of baked apple, crushed citrus, toasted spice, and brioche. This carries to a richer, layered, powerful Champagne with depth, density, and length. I’d be happy to drink bottles any time over the coming decade. Drink: 2020-2030. (11/24/20)"

93 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The NV Extra-Brut Grand Cru (2017) base is rich, creamy and wonderfully expressive. Dark red plum, spice, coffee, cedar, dried flowers and a kick of toastiness wrap around the palate. The Grand Cru offers notable depth and tons of unbridled class. I would give this a year or two in bottle. It is a stellar NV offering. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: September, 2022. Drink: 2022-2032. (May 2022)"

93 points La Revue du Vin de France: "A smart new way to start tasting! The back label specifies the composition of the champagnes, including the base year... Back in the Montagne de Reims region, Grand Cru (base year 2016) pushes even further an admirably chiseled framework: it is endowed with solid flavors and extremely delicate bubbles. (2023)"

92+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "Based on the 2018 vintage, Egly's newly released NV Brut Grand Cru offers up inviting aromas of honeyed pear and white flowers mingled with hints of mint and praline. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and chiseled, it's an especially fine-boned, precise rendition of this immensely dependable cuvée, formerly known as the domaine's 'Tradition' bottling. Drink: 2023-2035. (12/14/23)"

92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The new release of Francis Egly’s non-vintage Brut bottling is from the base year of 2017, but with fully half the blend made from reserve wines from the previous two vintages. Ninety percent of the fruit comes from his family’s vineyards in Ambonnay and the balance from their holdings in Bouzy and Verzenay. The cépages is seventy percent pinot noir and thirty percent chardonnay, with the vins clairs barrel-fermented and aged in cask, but not going through malo. Ten percent of the casks are renewed each year. The wine aged fifty-two months sur latte prior to disgorgement in November of 2021 and was finished with a dosage of a single gram. The wine delivers an excellent nose of apple, hazelnut, fresh-baked bread, a complex base of soil, a touch of buttery oak and plenty of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is brisk, full-bodied and shows off fine depth at the core, with frothy mousse, snappy acids and fine focus and grip on the long and complex finish. Good juice that will be even better with another few years’ worth of bottle age. 2024-2045. (Jul/Aug 2022)"

92 points Wine & Spirits: "The fruit of vines planted in the 1970s in Ambonnay, Verzenay and Bouzy, this wine offers a deep well of fruit with the cool tone of pinot noir (70 percent of the blend), rooty and tight, then lengthening out into a lasting complexity. (Dec 2021)"