Egly-Ouriet 'Les Vignes de Vrigny' Premier Cru NV | Champagne, France

Layered, fleshy and spicy; remarkably hedonistic for Meunier yet also with wonderful brightness and saline freshness. It’s an exceptional rendition of this cuvée as you would expect from the vintages involved.

Producer: Egly-Ouriet

Region: Champagne, France

Grapes: Pinot Meunier

Champagne Madness: Vintages: 2019 (50%), 2018 (30%), 2017 (20%). Base: 2019. Bottled: 2020. Disgorgement: July 2023. Time on lees: 36 months

NERD NOTES

Estate grown, organic grapes, minimal added sulphur.

As always, this is 100% Pinot Meunier from a single 40-year-old, south-facing vineyard in Vrigny, a commune located on the Petite Montagne de Reims (next to Gueux, where Jérôme Prévost is based). Straight Pinot Meunier remains a rarity in Champagne and in Egly’s hands it is something truly unique. Low yields, old vines and ripe fruit make this one of the most intense, layered and opulent Meunier wines kicking around. Bottled without filtration, the dosage for this bottling was a tiny two grams per litre.