NV Egly-Ouriet - Champagne Brut Les Vignes de Vrigny

Pol Roger, one of a few luxury Champagne firms still family-owned, was established in Epernay in 1849. Pol Roger owns 200 acres of vineyards, which provide about 45% of their needs. Pol Roger's cellars extend over four miles of winding chalk passageways on two levels. The second or deeper cellar maintains a constant 9.5º C (50º F), one degree lower than the first level and most others in the region. This lower temperature slows the second fermentation, encouraging a finer mousse or bubbles. Pol Roger Champagne also spends two to three times the allowable minimum in the cellar before disgorgement, or about three years for the non-vintage and up to seven for the luxury cuvées. The long, slow maturation contributes greatly to the complex aromas, which distinguish these superb Champagnes.The Brut Non Vintage blend is traditionally composed from about 30 to 35 still base wines

A few years ago, Guillaume acquired a 0.3-hectare plot of 40-year-old Gamay planted in pure granite at 600 meters altitude in the Ardeche, and he produces a mere 800 bottles per vintage on average. As with his Cornas, he refrains from de-stemming his Gama...

"Roederer's Brut Premier was created in the 1980s to prove to consumers that we could deliver consistent quality with a blend that compensated for less than perfectly ripe vintages," explains Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon. "We were blending in pursuit of maturi...