2009 Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Millesime

This bottle of the 2009 Brut Grand Cru Millésime was disgorged in July 2018 after 96 months on the lees, and it's already showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with complex aromas of smoky red berries, green apple, oyster shell and English walnuts, with a faint hint of fino sherry on the upper register. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and vinous, with searing concentration, a beautifully refined mousse, brisk acids and a long, indeed seemingly endless, finish. This thrilling vintage Champagne exemplifies the intensity and power without the weight that Egly routinely achieves and testifies to his status as one of the region's very best producers.