Egly-Ouriet 1er Cru Les Vignes de Bisseuil NV

This is only the second release of Egly’s Chardonnay dominant cuvée. It comes from a plot of vines on the south-facing slopes of Bisseuil, a village just to the east of the famous Grand Cru communes of Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. While these villages are more renowned for Pinot Noir, Bisseuil is the only village in the area that has more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir in its vineyards. That’s why the blend here is 70% Chardonnay with 15% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier. The Egly Bisseuil vines cover 1.5 hectares and span two lieux-dits. They have now been farmed by the Egly family for more than seven years—Francis and Annick Egly purchased these vines in anticipation of their children Clémence and Charles joining the domaine. The vine age averages 40 years. Les Vignes de Bisseuil was vinified entirely in barrel and spent four years in the cellar prior to the disgorgement (with two grams per litre dosage). This is again a fascinating contrast to the rest of the range. As you might expect, it has a much more ‘Chardonnay’ personality with lovely white peach, lemon curd, fresh butter and almond-oil characters. Although these elements suggest richness, the wine is in fact bright and full of energy, with a powdery, pithy close. It has all the thrilling tension and vinous texture for which this great grower is renowned. It will only benefit from another six-to-twelve months in bottle. Rob Walters.