With this release, based on the 2014 vintage and disgorged in June-July 2019, what was formerly Egly's Brut "Tradition" becomes simply his NV Brut Grand Cru, a simplification that paves the way for several new cuvées from this reference-point grower that I'll be reporting about in due course. Changes in nomenclature aside, the wine in the bottle has never been better, and the latest release soars from the glass with an expressive bouquet of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, citrus zest and freshly baked bread. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with real concentration and intensity, built around racy acids and chalky dry extract. The finish is long and lingering.

Fruit from grands crus Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. Barrel-fermented with indigenous yeast. Unfiltered. 48 months sur lattes. Disgorged July 2023. Dosage 1 g/l. Every time I lift this glass, I smell something else. At first it was toasted oats; then nectarines; then lemongrass. It's instantly obvious that it's more powerful, driven, intentional than Les Prémices. The timbre drops from alto to tenor, on the cusp of baritone. The cadence lengthens. The dynamics intensify. The wine is dramatically creamy with deep caramelised undertones, an adagio of brûlée swirled through the cream, through the peach purée of fruit, past the toasted-hazelnut crunch. It's complex and magnificent, demanding time, attention, and preferably a rare, marbled steak (from regeneratively farmed, pasture-raised beef). (TC)

Crus from Ambonnay and Verzenay. After 46 months on lees this was disgorged n May 2012. Full, bready, broad nose. A substantial wine from an impeccable grower. Very long and still in the peak of condition. (JR)

Baked apple, cinammon, rich and full in style with a bitter twist on the finish. Not much autolysis but plenty of fruit concentration. (RH)