The highly anticipated NEW RELEASES from Egly-Ouriet including an outstanding new cuvee
As vinous and concentrated as they are seamless and elegantly muscular, these wines occupy an important place in the recent history of Champagne.
Kristaps Karklin, robertparker.com, May 2025
NV Les Prémices
£210 per 6 bottle case in bond
NV Les Vignes de Vrigny
£260 per 6 bottle case in bond
NV Les Vignes de Bisseuil
£300 per 6 bottle case in bond
NV Grand Cru Extra Brut
£335 per 6 bottle case in bond
NV Grand Cru Rosé
£450 per 6 bottle case in bond
NV Grand Cru Rosé (Magnums)
£540 per 3 magnum case in bond
NV Grand Cru VP (Vieillissement Prolongé)
£450 per 6 bottle case in bond
NV Les Crayères, Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru
£975 per 6 bottle case in bond
NEW CUVEE NV Les Bussets, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
£975 per 6 bottle case in bond
2017 Brut Grand Cru
£1,380 per 6 bottle case in bond
2014 Brut Grand Cru (Magnums)
£1,630 per 3 magnum case in bond
NEW RELEASES: Egly-Ouriet
Including the inaugural release of Les Bussets, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from a parcel planted in 1902!
There are certain releases that generate a level of anticipation unlike any other. The annual arrival of Egly-Ouriet is unquestionably one of them. Indeed, amongst our long-standing Champagne clients, few releases are awaited with greater enthusiasm. And few offers that I ever write are this long (please no evidence to the contrary!). This is a lengthy offer encompassing 11 different wines, but I can assure it is well worth persevering to the end!
I have followed these wines for well over two decades and remain every bit as enthusiastic about them today as I was when I first discovered them. That may sound like a bold statement, but very few producers continue to impress with the same consistency year after year. Over countless bottles, tastings, lunches, and dinners, I struggle to recall a disappointing example. If anything, my admiration for the domaine has only grown.
This is not a producer that thrives on marketing, exclusivity, or carefully crafted image. The reputation of Egly-Ouriet has been earned the hard way: through meticulous vineyard work, painstaking attention to detail and an uncompromising pursuit of quality. Long before grower Champagne became fashionable, Francis Egly was demonstrating just how profound Champagne could be when every decision was made with quality in mind. Today, his wines stand comfortably amongst the finest produced anywhere in Champagne.
As I have written before, these are not simply great Champagnes, they are great wines. Extended ageing, low dosage, and fruit sourced from some of Champagne's most prized vineyard sites have long defined the Egly style. Nothing is hurried. Every cuvée benefits from an ageing regime that exceeds regional norms, allowing the wines to gain complexity and depth whilst retaining remarkable energy and precision. The result is a range of wines that combines intensity with finesse, power with detail and, above all, a remarkable sense of place.
Every time I revisit these wines, I find myself reaching the same conclusion. They display a level of precision, intensity, and terroir expression that few Champagnes can match. More impressively still, those qualities are evident throughout the range. It is one thing to produce a great prestige cuvée; it is quite another to maintain such a remarkable standard from the entry point to the very summit of production. Whether I am tasting Les Prémices, Vrigny, Bisseuil, the Grand Cru, Vieillissement Prolongé or Les Crayères, the hallmark quality of Egly-Ouriet remains unmistakable.
Demand for these wines continues to increase globally. Collectors and enthusiasts have become increasingly aware that the finest grower Champagnes now stand comfortably alongside, and often above, many considerably more expensive and better-known names. Consequently, allocations have become steadily tighter with each passing release.
Fortunately, we remain among a small number of merchants privileged to purchase directly from the domaine. Even so, the quantities available to us for this release are particularly limited. In truth, we could probably have sold our allocation several times over before the wines even landed in our cellar. As a result, demand is almost certain to exceed supply across a number of the wines offered below.
This year's release includes the newly available 2017 vintage, magnums of the outstanding 2014 vintage, the latest disgorgements of the core non-vintage collection and, most significantly, the debut of an entirely new cuvée: Les Bussets, the first Blanc de Blancs ever released by Egly-Ouriet, produced from a remarkable parcel of Grand Cru Chardonnay planted in 1902.
The introduction of a new wine from Francis Egly is a genuinely rare occurrence. This is not a grower inclined to expand his range without careful consideration. Given the domaine's reputation for caution, precision and exacting standards, the decision to release a new cuvée is noteworthy in itself and will undoubtedly attract considerable attention from Champagne enthusiasts.
Here is the full offer:
NV Les Prémices
£210 per 6 bottle case in bond
The latest release of Les Prémices marks a notable step forward in volume following the addition of four hectares of vineyard holdings in Trigny, in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, planted predominantly to Pinot Meunier. Consequently, the blend now comprises 50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Based on the 2022 harvest, supplemented by reserve wines from 2021 and 2020, this low-dosage cuvée encapsulates Egly's ability to elevate what might be considered an introductory wine to a level that comfortably surpasses many producers' flagship bottlings.
Blend: 50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, base vintage: 2022, reserve wines: 30% from 2021, 20% from 2020, bottled: 2023, dosage: 2g/l
NV Les Vignes de Vrigny
£260 per 6 bottle case in bond
One of Champagne's benchmark expressions of Pinot Meunier, sourced exclusively from old vines in the Premier Cru village of Vrigny. Unlike most Champagnes, there is no blending with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, allowing the character of this often-overlooked variety to take centre stage.
100% Pinot Meunier, base vintage: 2022, reserve wines: 30% from 2021, 20% from 2020, bottled: 2023, dosage: 2g/l
NV Les Vignes de Bisseuil
£300 pr 6 bottle case in bond
Drawn exclusively from Egly's holdings in the Premier Cru village of Bisseuil, this Chardonnay-led cuvée offers a fascinating counterpoint to the Pinot Noir-focused wines that dominate the range. Vinified entirely in barrel and aged for four years prior to disgorgement.
Blend: 70% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier, base vintage: 2021, reserve wines: 30% from 2020, 20% from 2019, bottled: 2022, dosage: 1g/l
NV Grand Cru Extra Brut
£335 per 6 bottle case in bond
Produced from Grand Cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay, this remains one of the reference-point wines of the range and arguably one of the finest values in top-flight grower Champagne without a doubt!
Blend: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, base vintage: 2021, reserve wines: 30% from 2020, 20% from 2019, bottled: 2022, dosage: 2g/l
NV Grand Cru Rosé
£450 per 6 bottle case in bond
One of Champagne's most distinctive rosés, produced from Grand Cru fruit and supplemented with approximately 5% still red wine from Egly's own Coteaux Champenois.
Blend: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, plus approximately 5% Coteaux Champenois rouge, base vintage: 2021, reserve wines: 30% from 2020, 20% from 2019, bottled: 2022, dosage: 2g/l
NV Grand Cru Rosé (Magnums)
£540 per 3 magnum case in bond
The first time we have offered in magnum format, these are sure to prove popular. Note the different details below in comparison to the bottles above.
Blend: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, plus approximately 5% Coteaux Champenois rouge, base vintage: 2019, reserve wines: 30% from 2018, 20% from 2017, bottled: 2020, dosage: 1g/l
NV Grand Cru VP (Vieillissement Prolongé)
£450 per 6 bottle case in bond
The initials ‘VP’ stand for Vieillissement Prolongé, or prolonged ageing. Produced from Grand Cru fruit, vinified entirely in barrel and aged for an extraordinary seven years on its lees before disgorgement.
Blend: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, base vintage: 2018, reserve wines: 25% from 2017, 25% from 2016, bottled: 2019, ageing: Seven years on lees, dosage: 2g/l
NV Les Crayères, Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru
£975 per 6 bottle case in bond
One of the defining wines of the Egly-Ouriet range and unquestionably one of Champagne's great Blanc de Noirs. Produced from Pinot Noir planted in 1946 and 1947 on the celebrated lieu-dit Les Crayères in Ambonnay, where barely 30 centimetres of topsoil gives way to pure chalk. These old vines root deeply into this remarkable terroir, yielding a wine that combines the concentration of mature Pinot Noir with extraordinary mineral precision. One of Egly’s finest wines.
100% Pinot Noir, base vintage: 2019, reserve wine: 50% from 2018, bottled: 2020, dosage: 1g/l
NEW CUVEE
NV Les Bussets, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
£975 per 6 bottle case in bond
The first Blanc de Blancs ever produced by Egly-Ouriet and undoubtedly one of the most fascinating new releases from Champagne in recent years. This inaugural bottling is sourced from a remarkable parcel of Chardonnay planted in 1902 in the Grand Cru village of Verzy. Vinified entirely in barrel and produced exclusively from the 2018 harvest, the wine then spent seven years ageing prior to disgorgement, allowing both vineyard and vine age to express themselves fully. Quite simply, entirely new wines from Francis Egly are rare. A new Grand Cru cuvée from a parcel planted more than 120 years ago is rarer still.
100% Chardonnay, vintage: 2018, bottled: 2019, ageing: Seven years prior to disgorgement, dosage: 1g/l
2017 Brut Grand Cru
£1,380 per 6 bottle case in bond
The 2017 growing season was far from straightforward. Spring frosts reduced yields, whilst a warm summer and humid conditions towards harvest demanded rigorous vineyard management and careful selection. Fortunately, few producers are better equipped to deal with challenging conditions than Egly-Ouriet. Thanks to meticulous parcel-by-parcel work and strict fruit selection, the resulting wine captures both the ripeness of the vintage and the precision that defines the domaine.
Blend: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, bottled: 2018, dosage: 1g/l. All from Grand Cru vineyards, the 2017 combines richness and generosity with impressive finesse and balance.
97 points, Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com
One of the most precise wines produced in this challenging vintage is Egly's 2017 Grand Cru Millésime, a bright, concentrated Champagne that blossoms in the glass with aromas of mirabelle plum, orange oil and yellow apple, mingled with freshly baked bread and almond paste. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it opens with a textural attack that leads into a deep, enveloping mid-palate, animated by racy acidity and chalky extract that impart a sense of freshness. The wine concludes with a long, sapid, citrus-inflected finish. Drink 2028-2047
2014 Brut Grand Cru (Magnums)
£1,630 per 3 magnum case in bond
The 2014 vintage provides another demonstration of how profoundly Champagne can benefit from a favourable late season. Following a generally cool and damp summer, a superb period of weather from late August through early September transformed the growing season, allowing the fruit to achieve full maturity before harvest commenced in mid-September. Vinified entirely in barrel and now released in magnum, this is a format particularly well suited to long-term ageing. Twelve years after harvest, the wine is entering a fascinating stage of development, combining maturity and complexity with the freshness and energy that magnum so often preserves.
Blend: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, bottled: 2015, dosage: 1g/l
97 points, William Kelley, robertparker.com
One of the very finest wines produced in this less heralded vintage is Egly's 2014 Brut Grand Cru Millésime, a strikingly vinous and enveloping Champagne that wafts from the glass with aromas of pear, mirabelle plum, freshly baked bread, almond paste and honeycomb. Full-bodied, satiny and layered, its textural attack segues into a deep, concentrated mid-palate of exceptional purity and cut, concluding with a long, penetrating and mouthwateringly saline finish. Drink: 2024-2044
Availability
I would ordinarily include extensive tasting notes and critical assessments with a release such as this. However, at the time of writing, reviews are still emerging and I have yet to taste the newly released disgorgements. Nevertheless, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them as few estates have demonstrated the extraordinary consistency of Egly-Ouriet over such a prolonged period. Across countless releases, disgorgements and vintages, these wines have repeatedly ranked amongst the finest Champagnes I have had the pleasure to taste. Their track record speaks for itself, and I see no reason whatsoever to expect anything different from the wines offered here and I can’t wait to taste them.
For those already familiar with Egly-Ouriet, little introduction will be necessary. For those yet to discover these wines, I can think of few better examples of why the finest grower Champagnes have become amongst the most sought-after wines in the world.
Allocations this year are particularly tight, and demand is unlikely to be any less intense than in previous years. We are fortunate to remain among a small number of merchants purchasing directly from the domaine, but quantities remain extremely limited. As ever, requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis as fairly as possible.
Simon
simon.larkin@atlasfinewines.com