Egly-Ouriet Extra Brut Champagne V.P. Vieillissement Prolongé NV

96 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(2009 base vintage; disgorged May 2017; 30% chardonnay, 70% pinot from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay; 33% 2008, 33% 2007 reserves; aged 80 months on lees; vinified and aged in oak casks; 2g/L dosage). In an age when single-vineyard, single-varietal, single-vintage champagnes are all the rage, it remains that blends triumph most often, even in an estate as tiny as this. Egly’s ‘prolonged ageing’ blend unites three vintages in equal proportions. Power meets effortless calm as three of Champagne’s finest pinot noir crus unite with breathtaking expression. The depth and complexity on display here are a grand testament to the collision of the deep 2009 season, the grandeur of Ambonnay and the exacting precision of Egly. It ripples with mirabelle plums, peaches and all the fanfare of a Parisian boulangerie. For all its complexity, it concludes with sensational tension and focus on an exacting finish of precise minerality that bores to the core of grand cru chalk. A brilliant V.P, albeit without the dazzling minerality or towering magnificence of the 2008 before it. (2020-2021)"

96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The NV Extra Brut V.P. Grand Cru (Vieillissement Prolongé) is a rich, textured Champagne that expresses all of the natural intensity gained after having spent eight years on its lees. Baked apple tart, pastry, spice, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes infuse the V.P. with tremendous flavor complexity to fill out its broad, expansive frame. It is a wine of remarkable depth and vinous intensity. In a word: superb. Disgorged: July, 2020. Drink: 2020-2030. (Nov 2020)"

94 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "A blend of the 2013, 2012 and 2011 vintages, Egly's latest NV Egly-Ouriet Extra-Brut Grand Cru V.P. was disgorged in spring 2021 with three grams per liter dosage. It's a lovely wine, bursting with aromas of fresh bread, citrus oil, crisp orchard fruit, praline and subtle hints of clear honey and exotic fruits. Full-bodied, layered and textural, it's concentrated and incisive, with a pinpoint mousse and a long, saline finish. As ever, this is warmly recommended. Drink: 2021-2036. (Sep 2021)"

Importer notes: "This wine is Egly's treasure; with more than SIX YEARS on its lees, 'V.P.' (in French, 'extended aging') is a testament both to the greatness of his terroir and to his vision as an uncompromising Champagne artist. A blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, pulled from older vines in the three finest villages in the Montaigne de Reims."

Richard Juhlin: "This firm was established in 1930 and nowadays Michel Egly owns 7.7 hectares at Ambonnay, a third of a hectare at Bouzy and one and a half a hectare at Verzenay as well as 2 hectares Meunier in Vrigny. The average age of the vines is 35 years, with 60 years for the prestige wines. The wines are phenomenally great and rich. The grower is very close to gaining five stars through his fantastic development in recent years. Probably the foremost grower of Pinot Noir in the entire Champagne region nowadays..."