Sparkling French Champagne Egly-Ouriet Les Premices wine
Les Premices open up with a focused nose of citrus, brioche, white flowers, and hints of tropical fruits. It is an incredibly dry wine, with a dosage of just 1g/l, allowing every nuance of the terroir to shine through. It is a blend of the three classic Champagne grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
Egly-Ouriet is a fourth-generation Champagne house, drawing from 12 hectares of vineyards in Ambonnay. It gained a cult following in the 1980s, under the leadership of Francis Egly, and while it may still be a small-scale, family-run winery, the quality of its wines speaks volumes. Those at the winery prefer to create single-vineyard wines – Les Premicesis a 3.5-hectare Premier Cru plot, notable for its precise and mineral-rich Champagnes.
There is a fine mousse-like feel on the palate, contrasted by a strong acidic drive and precise minerality. Its flavours evoke white orchard fruits, citrus zest, freshly baked bread, and wet slate. Aged for 3 years on the lees before bottling, this is a fantastic wine for pairing with shellfish, soft cheese, or simply for serving as an aperitif.
Sparkling French Champagne Egly-Ouriet Tradition Grand Cru wine
This is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, bursting with scents of plum, red berries, white flowers, and ripe orchard fruits. The grapes were sourced from Egly-Ouriet’s finest Grand Cru vineyards, which are spread across Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, and Versenay. Champagne Egly-Ouriet is a fourth-generation winery, with a history dating back to the 1800s.
However, it gained popularity during the 1980s, under the reign of Francis Egly. Since then, the house has been a small-scale, family-run business, with a strong following thanks to its careful approach to creating terroir-driven wines. It can be found among the green hills of Ambonnay, where the winery draws from 12 hectares of vineyards.
The Tradition Grand Cru is medium-bodied in the mouth, and a beautiful golden colour in the glass with layers of raspberry jam, croissant, lemon rind, and crystallised ginger. It is dry and wiry in the mouth, with a strong vein of acidity. It was aged for 4 years on the lees before bottling.
This is a great Champagne for an occasion, and for pairing with shellfish, caviar, or a soft cheese board.
Sparkling French Champagne Eric Rodez Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru wine
Serve it chilled. The Rodez family has been producing Champagne in Ambonnay, in the Montagne de Reims since 1757. In 1982, Eric Rodez, after years of experience at the Maison Krug, decided to create his own label.
Today the company, which owns approximately 6 hectares of vineyards divided into approximately 36 parcels, is led by Eric together with his son Mickael, the ninth generation of the family. Eric Rodez’s Champagne Blanc De Noirs is produced with only Pinot Noir grapes sourced from the Ambonnay vineyards, in an area where this vine gives its best. The assembly involves the use of reserve wine from 5-6 different vintages.
Part of the wines are vinified in small oak barrels. The wine has a bright straw-yellow color with golden reflections and a fine and persistent effervescence. The nose is fragrant and expressive with aromas of red fruits and candied citrus fruits, dried fruit, and light spicy notes.
On the palate, it is powerful, elegant, intense and round. It is fresh and well-balanced, with a long, lingering finish. It is very versatile in food pairings and absolutely worth trying with grilled prawns, veal escalope, and tomato tarts.
Sparkling French Champagne Eric Rodez Cuvee des Crayeres Ambonnay Grand Cru wine
Serve it chilled. The Rodez family has a long winemaking tradition that dates back 3 centuries and 9 generations. Today the company, located in the charming village of Ambonnay, in the heart of the Montagne de Reims wine area, is managed by Eric Rodez with his wife Martine and their son Mickael.
The Maison owns approximately 6 hectares of vineyards (of which 4 for Pinot Noir and 2 for Chardonnay