Egly Ouriet
If one were to compile a ranking of the vigneron most important in all of Champagne, the name Egly-Ouriet would undoubtedly be among the top. This iconic Récoltant Manipulant operates in the famous Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, within the Montagne de Reims area, a territory where Pinot Noir reigns. The winery was founded in 1946 by Charles Egly, grandfather of the current owner Francis Egly, who purchased the first 3 hectares of vineyards in Ambonnay. Over the following decades, the vineyard area available to the estate expanded with the annexation of new plots scattered among the Grand Cru municipalities of Bouzy and Verzenay and in the Premier Cru ones of Vrigny and Bisseuil, as well as a few hectares in the Massif de Saint-Thierry. Of these, the three hectares located in the municipality of Vrigny belonged to the family of Francis's wife, who decided to add her surname to the winery's name: Ouriet. The approximately 15 cultivated hectares of the Egly-Ouriet winery, of which 10 fall in Grand Cru villages and 2 in Premier Cru municipalities, rest on chalky soils rich in gypsum layers. Francis Egly cultivates all three main champenoise grape varieties, namely Chardonnay, Meunier, and Pinot Noir, but it is the latter that represents the varietal heart of the estate. The agronomic foundation of this RM is to respect the soil, the plants, and the ecosystem in general, which is why the use of synthetic chemical products is banned. In the winery, vinifications and aging take place in stainless steel tanks and, above all, in small Burgundy wooden barrels, containers that Francis buys from his friend in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Dominique Laurent. Before the tirage, the masses spend several months maturing, often without undergoing malolactic fermentation in order to preserve a marked freshness in the wine, and throughout the entire processing, the use of clarification or filtration operations is excluded. The dosages are kept very low and the liqueur d’expédition used is the traditional one, made from a blend of old wines and cane sugar. The extraordinary ability of the RM Egly-Ouriet is to know how to divinely combine in its Champagnes expressive depth and sublime drinkability, whether it is the “base” or the Millésime, the only “vintage” produced by Francis. Furthermore, the winery was the first in all of Champagne to produce a pure Meunier label, achieving results that are still surprising today.
If one were to compile a ranking of the vigneron most important in all of Champagne, the name Egly-Ouriet would undoubtedly be among the top. This iconic Récoltant Manipulant operates in the famous Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, within the Montagne de Reims area, a territory where Pinot Noir reigns. The winery was founded in 1946 by Charles Egly, grandfather of the current owner Francis Egly, who purchased the first 3 hectares of vineyards in Ambonnay. Over the following decades, the vineyard area available to the estate expanded with the annexation of new plots scattered among the Grand Cru municipalities of Bouzy and Verzenay and in the Premier Cru ones of Vrigny and Bisseuil, as well as a few hectares in the Massif de Saint-Thierry. Of these, the three hectares located in the municipality of Vrigny belonged to the family of Francis's wife, who decided to add her surname to the winery's name: Ouriet. The approximately 15 cultivated hectares of the Egly-Ouriet winery, of which 10 fall in Grand Cru villages and 2 in Premier Cru municipalities, rest on chalky soils rich in gypsum layers. Francis Egly cultivates all three main champenoise grape varieties, namely Chardonnay, Meunier, and Pinot Noir, but it is the latter that represents the varietal heart of the estate. The agronomic foundation of this RM is to respect the soil, the plants, and the ecosystem in general, which is why the use of synthetic chemical products is banned. In the winery, vinifications and aging take place in stainless steel tanks and, above all, in small Burgundy wooden barrels, containers that Francis buys from his friend in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Dominique Laurent. Before the tirage, the masses spend several months maturing, often without undergoing malolactic fermentation in order to preserve a marked freshness in the wine, and throughout the entire processing, the use of clarification or filtration operations is excluded. The dosages are kept very low and the liqueur d’expédition used is the traditional one, made from a blend of old wines and cane sugar. The extraordinary ability of the RM Egly-Ouriet is to know how to divinely combine in its Champagnes expressive depth and sublime drinkability, whether it is the “base” or the Millésime, the only “vintage” produced by Francis. Furthermore, the winery was the first in all of Champagne to produce a pure Meunier label, achieving results that are still surprising today.
