GROWER
EGLY-OURIET Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Brut Grand Cru Ambonnay, Lea & Sandeman

EGLY-OURIET

Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Brut Grand Cru Ambonnay NV

Grapes Pinot Noir
Colour White
Origin France, Champagne
Village Ambonnay
Classification Grand Cru
ABV 12.5%

This is a top class treat to rival any of the well-known prestige cuvées. 100% Pinot Noir from an ancient vineyard planted in 1947 which is called 'les crayères' ('The chalk mine') after its deep subsoil layer of chalk which begins only about a foot below the surface. The vines have deep roots and their age and the free-draining quality of the chalk give concentrated aromas of red fruits to the old Pinots, while at the same time the minerality of the chalk itself gives the wine an elegance and a huge ageing potential. A full bodied, vinous wine, this is no aperitif, but more of a celebratory food wine which is a fabulous match for the likes of lobster or cold fillet of beef. L&S (Mar 2005)


Alternatively, we may well have some bottles in one of our shops - why not give us a call on 0207 244 0522 or send an email to: sales@leaandsandeman.co.uk.

Or, check the RELATED PRODUCTS below for different vintages or wines of a similar style.


The NV Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Crayeres Grand Cru explodes from the glass with a range of Pinot aromas and flavors that is just breathtaking. Bright acids and beams of saline intensity offer striking contrast. Even though it has just been Disgorged:, the Crayeres is just stunning. For readers who want to know what Pinot from Ambonnay tastes like, well, this is it. Hints of Mirabelle plum, red plum and dried flowers linger on the substantial finish. Disgorged: July, 2020. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Nov 2020)

Rich hints of toasted brioche, coffee liqueur and smoke underscore flavors of baked quince, graphite and candied orange peel in this expressive Champagne, beautifully balanced by a vivid acidic frame. Lightly chalky and fine in texture, with a long, lingering finish. Rating: 94 Alison Napjus, The Wine Spectator (Aug 2018)

Some in Champagne can achieve grandeur of dizzying proportions, and the most talented can summon delicacy of light footed grace, but no village marries the two as effortlessly as Ambonnay, and no practitioner as masterfully as Francis Egly. Vieilles Vignes is his masterpiece, succeeding in capturing the golden sunlight of grandeur and chalk mineral airiness of his tiny amphitheater shaped lieu-dit of vines planted in 1946. The essence of Pinot Noir. (Tyson Stelzer's pick: a selection of great Champagnes). Drinking range: 2018 - 2023 Rating: 99 Decanter Magazine (Jul 2018)

Champagne Egly-Ouriet

Francis Egly is the current fourth-generation head of Ambonnay Champagne grower-producer Egly-Ouriet. He took over from his father Michel in 1981, who had prepared the ground well (literally) since he was one of the few growers who refused to use degraded urban waste as fertiliser in the 1970s, a policy which still results in plastic and metals debris being common in many of the vineyards now. The Egly-Ouriet vineyards had never seen inorganic fertiliser or herbicides.

Francis declares himeself as against 'vins stereotypés', believing that his mission is 'to please but also to surprise', and insisting that 'the biggest mistake in Champagne is to go against nature'.

With the exception of the Pinot Meunier vines in Vrigny, and the new vineyrad in Bisseuil, the 12 hectare estate is exclusively Grand Cru, stretching across Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. Pinot Noir is planted on 7 ha, Chardonnay on 2 ha, and the average age of the vines is more than 35 years. The exposure of many of the vines is south or south east, which gives exceptional ripeness, while the poverty of the shallow and chalky subsoil give a strong mineral streak.

The already high natural ripeness levels are raised higher still by the green-harvesting. Egly is adamant that acidity is not fundamental, and almost always sufficient, while bitterness is always fatal. An advocate of 'lutte raisonée' he avoids all insecticides, uses only organic fertilisers and continues to plough as his predecessors have always done.

In the cellar, Francis is a great believer in the best technology as well as the best of tradition. His two advanced Coquard presses installed in 2008 allowed him to increase precision in the pressing and obtain greater elegance. The juice from the presses falls onto cooling plates which quickly reduce the temperature to around 10C, so that the fermentations (in barrel) start slowly, giving greater aromatic nuance. For the red wine he worked with Dominique Laurent to refine his use of oak and the quality of the barrels. His son and daughter work with him in this family enterprise.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
  • For full delivery details see our Delivery page.
  • We offer free nationwide* delivery for all orders over £150 with our own vans. We also offer an express delivery service for an additional charge.
  • Order & Collect from any of our 5 London shops. Order by Midnight for collection the next working day from 11am.
  • Private wine storage: we offer a full In Bond and Duty Paid private wine storage service - find out more here.

RELATED PRODUCTS

ORDER     COLLECT

ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS