Region | |
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Subregion | France > Champagne |
Colour | White |
Type | Sparkling |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Egly-Ouriet
Disgorged only shortly before I tasted it and with 1-1.5 grams of naturally remaining residual sugar that he expects to supplement before beginning commercial disgorgement, Egly’s 2004 Brut Tradition is mouthwateringly and mysteriously scented with bacon fat and beef marrow, damp forest, sea breeze and chalk dust, which in their manifestations on a polished though firm palate tug at the cheeks and salivary glands even as they stretch the imagination, the barrels in which this wine matured leaving virtually no trace. There is grip and energy galore here, and I imagine that bottles will be worth following for the better part of a decade, if not beyond. We have here, in my view, a classic example of what Ambonnay – perhaps uniquely among Champagne crus – can deliver, namely a carnal dimension normally only found in red Burgundy or Chablis with striking intensity of mineral flavors.
Golden in color, the 2004 Brut Millésime Grand Cru offers an intense and precise aroma of slightly toasted whole-grain bread, brownish apples, apple strudel, oranges, dried fruits, raisins, brioche, and hints of mocha and nougat. This full-bodied yet lovely, really pure and dry wine is very elegant, quite expressive on the palate, and finishes with a refreshing lime aroma and citric acidity. This is a classic for fans of complex Champagnes of great purity and finesse. The wine is very well structured and quite firm in the finish and aftertaste, and can be stored for 4-5 years. The wine was sourced from old vines in grands cru vineyards of Ambonnay and bottled for the second fermentation without filtration. It was then kept on the lees for 100 months and disgorged in November 2013.