Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Les Crayeres
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Robert
Parker - Vinous
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Winemaker Notes
This is what Champagne from Reims used to be like 100 years ago, Francis Egly told us, before timid winemakers started cutting their cuvées with Chardonnay. This single-vineyard Champagne from the noblest of terroirs in Ambonnay is 100% Pinot Noir from 70-year-old vines; the wine spends 51 months on its lees, and is fermented in barrel. "Crayeres" covers itself with the thinest of Champagne soil, yet its heart is pure, solid chalk. The nose is a sensual feast—cinnamon and cardamom; the zest of lemons and limes; candied ginger, cherries and crushed stones. Lush and almost thick on the palate, "Crayeres" shows notes of currants and strawberries, reminding of a still red wine. This is truly the benchmark for all great Pinot Noir Champagne—perhaps for all Champagne.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of the 2015 and 2014 vintages, Egly's emblematic NV Brut Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Les Crayères was disgorged this year with only one gram per liter dosage. Bursting with aromas of mirabelle plum, Anjou pear and green apple mingled with notions of freshly baked bread, honeycomb and praline, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, its satiny attack segueing into a deep, layered mid-palate of striking texture and concentration. Concluding with a long, intensely saline finish, it's another brilliant wine from a great producer at the top of his form.
Rating: 98+
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Vinous
The NV (2014) Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru is a classic Egly Champagne that marries vinous fruit density, energy and the complexity that comes after six years on the lees. The 2014 shows lovely aromatic complexity of these Pinots in Ambonnay's Crayères lieu-dit, and yet remains quite youthful and taut in feel. Pear, slate, crushed rocks, white pepper and tangerine oil lead into the deep, sculpted finish. The blend of 60% 2014 and 2013%, both late-ripening vintages, works so well here. Dosage is 2 gram per liter. Disgorged: July, 2021.
Winemaker Francis Egly has earned a place at the very top of the grower Champagne elite, and his wines have achieved "cult" status.
You'll find Egly Champagne on the wine lists of the world's three-star restaurants. You'll also find it in the cellars of those who know that while Krug and other top producers can easily be had for a certain (often exaggerated) price, Egly Champagne is both rare and exceptional.
Egly Champagne is produced in microscopic quantities; it has few peers in terms of quality; and if you appreciate fine Champagne, it is certainly worth going any length to acquire.
Egly cares for vines in the grand cru villages of Bouzy, Verzenay and in the heart of Ambonnay. His are wines with character—tremendously vinous Champagne that speaks volumes about the regional terroir and the ancient vines that birth them. Each bottle is a stunning example of the potential of Champagne as well as the bold vision of a truly talented artisan.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’