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

96 points/'Le Coup de Coeur,' La Revue du Vin de France (2025).

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)"

95 points Tom Hewson (Decanter): "Although this appears as the 'house' non-vintage, in character it is more akin to a vintage wine that needs some time on cork. Tasted young, the saturated fruit – apricot, spiced apples, grilled lemons – is already expressive, yet not fully unsprung. Based on 2018 with 40% reserves back to 2016, the heat of 2018 is in the fruit profile rather than weight or grip, and is more about persistence than pure power, underlined by the oak élevage yet not coloured by it. 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. 100% barrel fermentation. Drinking Window: 2025-2035. (1/6/24)"

94 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2025).

92+ points Kristaps Karklins (Wine Advocate): "Based on the generously structured 2019 vintage defined by a concentrated and small yield, with 50% reserve wines from 2018 and 2017, Egly's latest NV Grand Cru was disgorged in October 2024 with two grams per liter dosage. As always, it was sourced mainly from Ambonnay, complemented by 20% of fruit from Bouzy, Verzenay and Verzy. Soaring from the glass with scents of pear, pastries, peach and honeysuckle mingling with orange zest, it is medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and rich, supported by tangy acidity and concluding with a long, saline finish. It is vinified entirely in wood. Drink: 2026-2037. (5/8/25)"

92 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "With a 2017 base, the NV Champagne Grand Cru Brut has 50% reserve from 2014-2016. It pours a medium golden hue and offers aromas of biscuit, yellow flowers, orchard peaches, and pineapple. The palate is medium to full-bodied, and it has a broad texture as well as an energetic and pillowing mousse. With a savory saline edge and richness, it’s broad but has long concentration. Drink 2024-2034. (11/17/23)"

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)"