Pre Arrival Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru "V.P." Extra Brut (R18)

93+ WA

Notes:

Based on the 2018 vintage and disgorged in May 2026 with a dosage of two grams per liter after seven years on the lees in the bottle, Egly's NV Grand Cru V.P. bursts from the glass with aromas of yellow apple, pear, fresh bread and quince. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and textural, with incisive acidity, concluding with a long, chalky, green apple–tinged finish. Readers will require little additional motivation, as it remains one of the most reliable wines in the range, even if it does not quite attain the depth of the Blanc de Noirs Les Crayères. - Kristaps Karklins 93+

Producer: Egly-Ouriet is based in Ambonnay and has become one of the reference-point grower estates of Champagne. Francis Egly’s wines are centered on ripe fruit, low yields, long élevage and extended lees aging, with Pinot Noir playing the leading role. V.P. stands for “Vieillissement Prolongé,” or prolonged aging, and the cuvée takes one of the domaine’s classic Grand Cru blends and gives it considerably more time on the lees. That extended maturation is the defining idea behind the wine, allowing the blend to develop additional texture and complexity before disgorgement while retaining the low dosage and firm structure characteristic of Egly-Ouriet.
Vineyard: V.P. is composed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay on the Montagne de Reims. These are the same three villages traditionally associated with Egly-Ouriet’s Grand Cru blend, with Pinot Noir providing the majority of the wine. The combination of Grand Cru fruit from these chalk-rich Montagne de Reims sites and a Pinot Noir-dominant assemblage gives V.P. the substance necessary to benefit from its unusually long period of maturation.
Winemaking: The major distinction here is time. The Base 2018 V.P. spent seven years aging on the lees in bottle before disgorgement. Egly-Ouriet uses oak in the élevage of V.P., building texture before the wine begins its long secondary maturation. The domaine also avoids malolactic fermentation in its wood-vinified cuvées, preserving acidity through the extended aging process. Earlier releases commonly spent roughly 70–80 months on the lees, so the seven-year élevage of the Base 2018 continues the established V.P. philosophy. The result is not simply a mature version of Egly-Ouriet Champagne, but a cuvée specifically constructed around prolonged lees aging.
Technical Details: Champagne AOC; Grand Cru; Extra Brut; Base 2018; 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay; fruit from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay; oak élevage; approximately seven years on the lees. Wine Advocate reviewed this exact Base 2018 release after a May 2026 disgorgement, confirming a 2 g/L dosage. The combination of long lees aging and very low dosage is fundamental to V.P.: the additional bottle maturation builds breadth and complexity, while the Extra Brut dosage keeps the finished wine dry and defined.
Food Pairing: V.P. has the depth and maturity to be treated much more like a still wine at the table than simply an aperitif. Lobster, scallops, turbot and other richer seafood are excellent matches, as are roast chicken, duck, mushrooms and aged Comté. Dishes incorporating browned butter or roasted nuts can work particularly well with the complexity developed through the wine’s prolonged lees aging. A proper white-wine glass is preferable to a narrow flute, giving the Champagne room to open as it warms slightly in the glass.

Vins Rare

Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru "V.P." Extra Brut (R18)

Name: Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru "V.P." Extra Brut (R18)
Brand: Vins Rare
SKU: 102633
Price: 154.00 USD
Availability: InStock