Egly-Ouriet Champagne Brut Grand Cru Millesime 2015 750ml

From a sunny vintage in which the harvest—commencing relatively late, on September 20—proved ultimately rewarding, Egly’s 2015 Grand Cru Millésime has turned out remarkably elegant. A classic blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from Ambonnay, it was disgorged in October 2024 with a dosage of one gram per liter—significantly lower than the 2008 edition, when Egly needed to temper the pronounced acidity. The wine bursts from the glass with an evocative bouquet of pear, red plum and fresh bread, mingling with vibrant citrus nuances. On the palate, it is deep, full-bodied and layered, showcasing remarkable concentration and a crystalline core of fruit. A bright spine of acidity and abundant chalky extract provide both structure and sensation of freshness, culminating in a persistent, reverberating finish. While this vintage is occasionally marked by subtle vegetal tones—attributable to incomplete ripening under hydric stress—this cuvée exhibits none of those elements. As Francis Egly notes, “It was all about the harvest date, and we certainly didn’t rush to pick the grapes.” Fine-boned and effortlessly graceful, this small release possesses all the attributes necessary for a long evolution.

• 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.