Champagne Extra Brut Grand Cru

Score

95

"Although this appears as the 'house' non-vintage, in character it is more akin to a vintage wine that needs some time on cork. Tasted young, the saturated fruit – apricot, spiced apples, grilled lemons – is already expressive, yet not fully unsprung. Based on 2018 with 40% reserves back to 2016, the heat of 2018 is in the fruit profile rather than weight or grip, and is more about persistence than pure power, underlined by the oak élevage yet not coloured by it. 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. 100% barrel fermentation."

Score

18

"Every time I lift this glass, I smell something else. At first it was toasted oats; then nectarines; then lemongrass. It's instantly obvious that it's more powerful, driven, intentional than Les Prémices. The timbre drops from alto to tenor, on the cusp of baritone. The cadence lengthens. The dynamics intensify. The wine is dramatically creamy with deep caramelised undertones, an adagio of brûlée swirled through the cream, through the peach purée of fruit, past the toasted-hazelnut crunch. It's complex and magnificent, demanding time, attention, and preferably a rare, marbled steak (from regeneratively farmed, pasture-raised beef). (TC)"

Score

92+

"Based on the 2018 vintage, Egly's newly released NV Brut Grand Cru offers up inviting aromas of honeyed pear and white flowers mingled with hints of mint and praline. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and chiseled, it's an especially fine-boned, precise rendition of this immensely dependable cuv,e, formerly known as the domaine's Tradition bottling."