Among well-known estates in Champagne, including the producers-formerly-known-as “Grandes Marques,” Egly-Ouriet enjoys special renown. This long-time grower has only been estate bottling Champagne since the 1950s, when Charles Egly bottled 100 cases a year for family and friends. His son Michel expanded this to 1,600 cases, but when Francis Egly took over in 1982, he became a committed récoltant manipulant (grower-producer) and electrified the category with sensational wines that were sinewy yet lithe, and were as delicious as vin clair as they were with bubbles. Part of the reason for this is that Egly’s vinification approach is unusual, but as he says, “In the past, the best vintages of Champagne are those with a high degree of maturity.” You’re right if you inferred that he means most champagnes are made from fruit that isn’t fully ripened (which sounds bad, but in the case of Champagne it isn’t), because most producers fear a loss of acidity. The potential alcohol in the grapes for Egly’s wines routinely reaches 12% to 13% (rather than the more traditional 11%) with no deleterious effects on the final product. Indeed, these are among the world’s finest champagnes.