WTN: Egly-Ouriet Champagne Brut "Les Vignes de Vrigny" NV

[David M. Bueker]

Served with lobster & baked potato:

Fantastic stuff that is more red wine with bubbles than what I normally think of as Champagne. Very fine palate presence & loads of fruit that is backed up by a citrusy/toasty element. It's young and a bit brash in its forward style right now, but a little cellar time should civilize it a bit.

Fantastic stuff that is more red wine with bubbles than what I normally think of as Champagne...

Structure wise? Flavor wise?

If I remember correctly they don't actually make this wine with much red color?

[David M. Bueker]

Very deep and red fruited. It's 100% Pinot Meunier by the way. It is also a blanc de noirs.

It struck me as being unfocused, all sort of soft and pillowy, without any good structure or acidity to back it up. I thought it a good example of why Meunier is a grape largely for blending, rather than for 100% varietal cuvées such as this. It was interesting to drink, and it certainly had some good points though. Of course we may be talking about different wines, that being the nature of NV Champagnes. I bought mine in Northern France in summer 2007, and drank it not long afterwards.

It struck me as being unfocused...Of course we may be talking about different wines, that being the nature of NV Champagnes. I bought mine in Northern France in summer 2007, and drank it not long afterwards.

I never found this unfocused, soft, or pillowy. I found it leaning towards structured and spicy (if I remember correctly, I bought and drank several bottles between 2004 and 2006).

But there must be variation. I was also going to ask David when his was released, since he seems to be cellaring them.

[David M. Bueker]

I just received this wine. It was disgorged in July 2008.

I am genuinely sorry I didn't share one of the bottles you two had! They certainly sound better than the one I drank. I will look out for another chance to taste having read your comments.