Longtime SommSelect subscribers know the Egly-Ouriet story well: This is the standard-setting estate for the ever-expanding legion of Champagne houses who grow and vinify their own grapes. These “grower-producers” (from the French récoltant-manipulant, indicated by a tiny ‘RM’ on the label) have seized the moment with sommeliers and retailers, as the story of a scrappy, small-scale, family-owned vineyard doing battle with Champagne’s grandes marques—many of them owned by luxury-goods conglomerates—is an easy one to get behind. The thing with Egly-Ouriet is that it’s now a formidable “brand” in its own right, with as much cachet as any in Champagne. It has transcended its humble ‘RM’ moniker and become a grande marque (albeit an under-priced, under-marketed one).

Francis Egly, who has been in charge here since 1980, is the fourth generation to work his family’s vineyards. Their holdings have expanded to about 12 hectares, most of them in the Grand Cru-classified village of Ambonnay—home to some of Champagne’s, if not all of France’s, greatest Pinot Noir. Yes, there’s Chardonnay in there, too, but organically farmed, old-vine Pinot Noir is at the heart of every Egly-Ouriet cuvée. The well-traveled Champagne writer Peter Liem dubbed Egly-Ouriet “Burgundy with bubbles,” and indeed Egly has inspired many new-generation Champagne producers to shift the focus away from blending and ‘branding’ and toward a more vineyard-specific model in the Burgundy mold (i.e., treat it like wine, not whisky).

The vineyards that produce the grapes for this Brut Rosé are in the Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay—all on the Pinot-dominated Montagne de Reims. Unlike other grower Champagne producers, Francis harvests the grapes at a slightly riper point than most producers do; while others fear that they will lose the acidity in doing this, he has proved that the slightly riper harvest of low-yielding old vines can create luscious bubbles with intensely concentrated flavors that linger forever. He is a true artisan in the world of Champagne, with admirable dedication that shows in every sip.

This wine is the latest release, or disgorgement, of the Brut Rosé. Although it is a Pinot Noir-dominated blend, there is some Chardonnay in there as well, and the wine typically incorporates about 40% oak-aged ‘base’ wines from previous vintages to lend depth and a touch of vinosity. As many of you know, Egly-Ouriet is known for one of the best ‘still’ Pinot Noirs in Champagne, and a small amount of this wine (known as ‘Ambonnay Rouge’) is included in the cuvée for color. The Brut Rosé typically ages on its lees (the spent yeast cells that precipitate from the wine’s secondary bottle fermentation) for about 48 months.

All of which leads to a powerful, lush, lustrous rosé Champagne experience—Burgundy with bubbles, indeed! The wine has a concentrated dark salmon pink color with fine bubbles throughout. Assertive aromas of red currants, strawberry, wild flowers, rose petals, chalk and a hint of exotic spice burst from the glass. The palate is dense and opulent, yielding ripe flavors of wild berries, pink peppercorns, damp flowers, and an incredibly fine minerality. It is powerful and forward, yet balanced with great acidity—just about perfect for drinking now, although it will age well for the next 5+ years if kept well. Ideally serve it at just below cellar temp at roughly 50 degrees in an all-purpose white wine stem, unless you have specialty Champagne stems (not flutes) which leave room for the wine to aerate. For me, this is a Champagne for red meat, with all the acid and structure you could ask for to break down fat: I love it with lamb, in fact, and encourage you to try it with this Nancy Silverton lamb chop recipe—the addition of pimentón should pair well with the exotic spice in the wine. Enjoy!