Ambonnay Red "Cuvée des Grands Côtés" 2015 Egly-Ouriet

Coteaux Champenois Ambonnay Rouge Cuvée des Grands Côtes Vieilles Vignes 2015 — Egly-Ouriet

The Coteaux Champenois Ambonnay Rouge Cuvée des Grands Côtes Vieilles Vignes 2015 from Egly-Ouriet is one of the rarest and most sought-after still red wines of Champagne. Sourced from old Pinot Noir vines in Ambonnay Grand Cru, it reveals a confidential side of the estate: the depth of a great red wine, without bubbles, shaped by the chalky precision of the Montagne de Reims.

The 2015 vintage brings ripeness, flesh and fine fruit density. Cherry, raspberry, wild berries, dried flowers, delicate spice, warm stone and a subtle smoky note form a wine that is rich, vibrant and highly gastronomic, carried by a long mineral finish.

Terroir and winemaking

This cuvée comes from old Pinot Noir vines located in Ambonnay, a Grand Cru village of the Montagne de Reims. The grapes come from low-yielding mid-slope parcels, set in a natural amphitheatre with a predominantly south-facing exposure.

Chalk and limestone soils give the wine its tension, freshness and mineral length. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in oak barrels, followed by around 20 months of ageing in barrel, including a proportion of new oak. The wine is bottled by hand, without fining or filtration.

Tasting notes

The 2015 vintage and service

In Champagne, 2015 produced ripe, concentrated and expressive Pinot Noir. In this cuvée, the richness of the vintage remains balanced by the freshness of Ambonnay, the finesse of the tannins and the limestone energy of the terroir.

This wine can be enjoyed now with measured aeration, while still offering further evolution. Serve at around 15 to 16°C, in large glasses, with gradual opening rather than extended decanting.