Winemaker Notes
Pale lemon. Aromas of white flowers and marzipan, white peaches, light herbs. Bright and precise, with peppery notes and citrus zest. Savory, with a mineral finish; long.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Nicely bright, showing lovely and delicious fruit, this is medium-bodied and round with melons and pears. From a vineyard in Trigny. Base wine 2021. Three years on the lees. A blend of one-third each of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Based on the 2020 vintage (50%) and incorporating reserve wines from 2019 and 2018, Egly's latest release of the NV Les Prémices was disgorged in September 2024 with one gram per liter dosage. As ever, it was entirely vinified in tank and derives from the village of Trigny in Massif de Saint-Thierry, not far from Vrigny. It is the vineyard that the Egly family took over in 2016 from Clémence’s mother’s side, and the vines today are 40 years old, facing southeast and growing in sandier soils than those in Ambonnay. Opening in the glass with aromas of orange zest, red apple and spices, it is full-bodied, ample and textural, with succulent acidity and a rich core of fruit. The one cuvée in the range that could ever be described as straightforward, it is, stylistically, somewhat weighty in comparison to the rest of the range.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’