NV Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut Rosé

WINEMAKER: Francis Egly
REGION: Champagne, FR
VARIETY: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

We say it every year and we’ll say it again; this is arguably the greatest rosé wine of Champagne. Why is it so good? Well, the first reason is that the fruit comes from 100% Grand Cru estate vines grown by one of the most meticulous vignerons in the region. Then there is the five percent of Egly’s 2015 Coteaux Champenois Rouge—the finest red wine of the AOC in our opinion, and not only ours! This red Pinot gives the wine its colour and a great deal of its vinous character. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay with 50% from the 2017 vintage and the reserve wines split between 2016 and 2015. The dosage is a negligible two grams per litre. Interestingly, this is always Egly’s most delicate wine. It’s unbelievably fine, perfumed, delicate and red-fruited; something truly special. It’s also now bottled in dark glass, protecting it from light strike.

Francis Egly is a vigneron growing and crafting wines that offer remarkable intensity as well as transparency of site, from vines that are positively ancient by Champagne standards. Like all great French growers, the Egly philosophy can be defined by one word: terroir. Very low yields, old vines, only great sites, perfectly ripe fruit, extended lees aging (the Brut NV can spend up to 48 months on lees) very low or no dosage and no fining and/or filtration are all decisions taken because Egly believes that they allow his terroir to speak most clearly. These practices are identical to the finest growers in Burgundy and the polar opposite of conventional Champagne production.