Egly-Ouriet Champagne Brut Grand Cru Millesime 2007 750ml

We began with the 2007 Brut Vintage from Egly-Ouriet. Without entering the cause célèbre about price hikes, this bottle did explain why it enjoys such a fanatical following. At 17 years of age, it has evolved into a quite entrancing bouquet, a little yeasty, with hints of lemon sherbet and Japanese yuzu, all delivered with captivating delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with a lively spine of acidity, a twist of sour lemon and Clementine and just a trace of viscosity towards the finish. It is drinking perfectly now, and if you can afford it, then lucky you.

• Country: France
• Region: Champagne
• Size: 750ml

Varietal

Champagne Blend

The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn’t unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as ‘blanc de blanc’, meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or ‘blanc de noir’, which is made solely with Pinot Noir.