Egly-Ouriet "Les Vignes de Bisseuil" 1er Cru Extra Brut NV 750ML

This release of the NV Champagne Vignes De Bisseuil is based on 2019 but also includes 2018 and 2017. In the glass it pours a bright silver straw hue and offers savory, ripe aromas of pear, melon rind, fresh earth, and briny salinity, with bold character and ample ripeness. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers a good deal of intensity and maybe even more fruity on the palate. It’s a savory wine with lovely richness, a refined mousse, and a long finish. Drink it over the coming 15 years.

Les Vignes de Bisseuil is superb. Baked apple tart, white flower, tangerine oil, slate and sage all race across the palate. Deceptive at first in its light-bodied, airy feel, the 2019 opens beautifully in the glass, revealing myriad shades of nuance and tons of finesse to match. I love this for its dimension, breadth and complexity.

A solitary Chardonnay-led cuvée in the Egly-Ouriet portfolio, this nevertheless feels like one of the family with its expressive Mirabelle plum, tangy lemon and toasted nut aromatics, finishing with an energetic chalky squeeze. Francis Egly is a fan of the 'perfect' 2018 vintage, and this example shows admirable focus and concentration for the year. A blend of 70% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and 15% Meunier from Egly's vineyard in the village of Bisseuil.

Based on the 2018 vintage, the latest release of Egly's NV Brut Vignes de Bisseuil was disgorged this year with two grams per liter dosage. Offering up aromas of sweet orchard fruit and crisp white peach mingled with notions of white flowers, praline and freshly baked bread, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and charming, with a fleshy core of fruit and a racy, chalky spine. It's a bright, precise rendition of this Chardonnay-dominant cuvée.