There are few growers in champagne with the attention to detail and unashamed passion for producing wines of distinction. Egly-Ouriet (pronounced Egg-lee Ou-ri-yay) is based in the Grand Cru Village of Ambonnay, famed for its Pinot Noir fruit.
It is run by the skilful, Francis Egly who practices biodynamic and organic principals in his vineyards which span, Bouzy and Verzenay. Francis makes up a handful of highly talented and terroir-driven producers along with the likes of Anselme Selosse, Larmandier-Bernier and Vouette et Sorbée.
These are wines first and he produces deep, powerful and intense styles of champagne. His minimum ageing is around 48-60 months (as declared on his informative back label) for his non-vintage wines, allowing time to express the inner strength and purity.
If you’ve never heard of Egly-Ouriet before, you are in for a treat. “Few producers can equal Francis Egly in skill and experience, and larger houses cannot hope to emulate the cultivation norms…” Michel Bettane, The World's Greatest Wines.
"Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it."
Napoleon Bonaparte, 18th century French conqueror (1769 - 1873).
A victory in itself, Emperor Champagne promotes, educates and distributes one of the largest varieties of champagne and is considered the Mecca for champagne. One such great champagne is Egly-Ouriet.
This famous quote by Napoleon Bonaparte embodies the spirit of Emperor Champagne’s founder Kyla Kirkpatrick, whose love for championing the development of this beverage has seen the company grow from a personal dream to a highly successful and major online champagne distributor in Australia.
Maison Egly-Ouriet
Speaking of victories, the Maison Egly-Ouriet was founded shortly after the end of the Second World War in the Champagne region of France. The vines from this house are more than 60 years old, with the average being 40 years.
Of the 10 hectares, two-thirds is reserved for Pinot-Noire grapes and the remaining one-third for both the Pinot-Meunier and Chardonnay grape variety. Sparkling wines from this house have been aged between one and five years.
Presently, the vineyard is under the care of agronomist Claude Bourguigno whose ecologically sound practices limit the use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilisers, while focusing on quality and not quantity.
The grapes are left to ripen fully naturally, a method of green harvesting which tends to lower the level of acidity. He believes that despite this, the levels are still sufficiently present and sufficient/
On the other hand, some of the grape varieties harvested from a different area retain a higher mineral content. The champagne is then fermented in oak barrels, then bottled and aged for between three to four years, and six years for the vintage blends.
The end result of blending the different varieties grown in different soil conditions is an unforgettable champagne that makes Egly-Ouriet Champagne a world famous brand.
Grand Brut and Pinot Meunier
The Grand Brut sparkling wine is a blend of Pinot-Noire and Chardonnay that is fermented with natural yeast before being aged on lees for a period of approximately a year during which time it slowly attains clarity to produce an excellent cuvée. The wine is then bottled without filtering or fining.
While the Pinot-Meunier is produced from very old grapes harvested from the Vrigny vineyard. Without the use of any blending, Maison Egly-Ouriet were the first to create this unusual and pure champagne.
We Deliver Australia wide
Our delight in being able to bring quality champagnes from grand champagne makers and the not-so-grand is a source of pride and achievement. Our mission is to create champagne connoisseurs while supporting as many fledgling champagne houses as we can, allowing you to discover world-class champagnes.
We deliver direct to your doorstep and are pleased to answer any queries you may have on the subject of champagne.
Should you need any further information, contact our dedicated team on 1800 242 672 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday or contact us via the form on our contact page.
Our address is Unit 6, 18 George Street, Sandringham Victoria, Melbourne 3191. We would love to hear from you and provide the opportunity to help you to become a champagne connoisseur.
