Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Ambonnay Rouge Cuvée des Grands Côtés Vielles Vignes 2012

Egly-Ouriet's Cuvée des Grands Côtés is a still Pinot Noir red from the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, sold as Coteaux Champenois rather than as Champagne.

Red wine from Champagne is bottled under the Coteaux Champenois appellation, in small volumes and only from the warmest, best-exposed sites, since Pinot Noir here ripens at the northern limit of what the climate allows. Ambonnay, on the south-facing flank of the Montagne de Reims, is the most reliable of those villages. Egly-Ouriet has farmed there for four generations and has been run since 1982 by Francis Egly, who ended the family's sales to the négociants and built the house on hard-controlled yields and properly ripe fruit. This cuvée comes from one organically farmed vineyard immediately below the Les Crayères parcel, facing south and carrying more clay than most of the slope, with vines over sixty years old. Fermentation is on indigenous yeasts, ageing runs 22 months in barrel with around thirty per cent new wood, and the wine is hand-bottled from the cask unfined and unfiltered.

Drinking now and able to hold for ten years. Serve at 16-18°C with roast duck, braised mushrooms or a mild washed-rind cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.