Pre Arrival Egly-Ouriet Champagne "Les Premices" Extra Brut (R22)

90 WA

Notes:

Based on the 2022 vintage and disgorged in May 2026 with a dosage of two grams per liter, Egly's NV Les Prémices emerges from the glass with aromas of orange oil, pear and peach mingled with fresh bread. Medium-bodied, rich and fleshy, with ripe yet racy acidity, it offers a textural profile animated by a pillowy mousse. Vinified entirely in stainless steel, it incorporates 50% reserve wines from 2021 and 2020 and derives from the village of Trigny in the Massif de Saint-Thierry. - Kristaps Karklins 90

Producer: Egly-Ouriet is based in Ambonnay and is one of the leading grower-producers in Champagne. Francis Egly has built the domaine around low yields, ripe fruit, extended élevage and low dosage, with holdings that extend beyond its celebrated Grand Cru vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. Les Prémices occupies a distinct place in the range because it comes from Trigny, in the Massif de Saint-Thierry north of Reims, rather than from the domaine’s core holdings farther south. The cuvée gives a different expression of the Egly-Ouriet style while maintaining the domaine’s emphasis on concentration, texture and precision.
Vineyard: Les Prémices comes from Trigny in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, an area northwest of Reims. The wine is an equal blend of Champagne’s three principal varieties: one-third Pinot Noir, one-third Meunier and one-third Chardonnay. That composition distinguishes it from many of Egly-Ouriet’s better-known wines, which are strongly centered on Pinot Noir. The Trigny vineyards give Francis Egly a site outside the domaine’s traditional Ambonnay base and allow all three varieties to contribute equally to the finished Champagne.
Winemaking: For this release, the 2022 harvest accounts for 50% of the blend, with the remaining 50% composed of reserve wines from 2021 and 2020. Unlike a number of Egly-Ouriet’s cuvées that see wood during vinification, this release of Les Prémices was vinified entirely in stainless steel. That choice preserves a particularly direct expression of the fruit while the substantial proportion of reserve wine brings additional dimension to the blend. The wine then undergoes secondary fermentation and extended maturation on the lees before disgorgement. Wine Advocate’s review of this exact release confirms the 2022 base, 50% reserve-wine component and stainless-steel vinification.
Technical Details: Champagne AOC; Extra Brut; Base 2022; 33% Pinot Noir, 33% Meunier and 33% Chardonnay; fruit from Trigny in the Massif de Saint-Thierry; 50% 2022 base wine with 50% reserve wines from 2021 and 2020; vinified entirely in stainless steel. The Wine Advocate-reviewed bottling was disgorged in May 2026 with a dosage of 2 g/L. This is a particularly useful bottle for understanding Egly-Ouriet beyond the domaine’s powerful Pinot Noir-driven Grand Cru wines: the three varieties share equal footing, the élevage is in tank rather than barrel, and the dosage remains firmly in Extra Brut territory.
Food Pairing: Les Prémices has the structure to work both as an aperitif and at the table. Its combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier makes it versatile with oysters, clams, crab and simply prepared shellfish, while the breadth of the wine can comfortably handle richer dishes such as roasted chicken, seared scallops or grilled fish. The low dosage also makes it a strong match for salty foods, including aged Comté, Parmesan and charcuterie. A white-wine glass will allow more of the wine’s texture and aromatic complexity to emerge than a narrow flute.

Vins Rare

Egly-Ouriet Champagne "Les Premices" Extra Brut (R22)

Name: Egly-Ouriet Champagne "Les Premices" Extra Brut (R22)
Brand: Vins Rare
SKU: 102629
Price: 75.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock