Egly-Ouriet - Grand Cru 'V.P' Disg. 2022 - 0

Vintages: 2014 (60%), 2013 (20%), 2012 (20%) Bottling: 2015 Disgorgement: July 2022 Time on lees: 84 months The V.P. stands for Vieillissement Prolongé (prolonged aging), as this wine spends an extended period on lees—in this case, 84 months. Like the Grand Cru Brut, this is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, and the fruit again comes from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay—all great Grand Cru terroirs. Vinification and élevage are in oak casks and the dosage was a tiny three grams per litre. Regardless, the power of the fruit plus the extended lees aging grants so much harmony, so much length, so much complexity and texture, that the dosage seems irrelevant. It’s a vinous, powerful, super-pure Champagne of great depth and class. Intense and statuesque, yet with so much finesse. The NV V.P. Vieillissement Prolongé (base 2014) is a powerful, explosive wine. The combination of the base year, with the extended time on the lees and low dosage, yields an especially stark, austere Champagne that will need a few years to unwind following its disgorgement just a few months ago. Orchard fruit, chalk, mint, white pepper, plum and slate are some of the many notes that build into the intense, mineral-drenched finish. This is a wine for the patient. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: October, 2022. 96 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com