2011 Egrot (formerly Elisabeth Goutorbe) Grand Cru Brut Champagne

Notes

Elisabeth Goutorbe and her husband Jean-Marie Egrot run their tiny production Champagne house almost entirely by themselves. They get very little help from their cat Maurice, but can rely on Elisabeth’s father, René Goutorbe of Champagne Henri Goutorbe for a little bit of help. Of the 15 acres they own in Ay, Louvois, Tauxieres and Mutigny, they only keep the fruit from their 2.5 best—mostly in Ay, but also a touch of Louvois Chardonnay for balance. Their home straddles the border of Ay and Mutigny, two great terroirs in the Gand Valley of the Marne, while their production facility is in the heart of Ay. We have been working with them since the launch of their brand, first sold as Champagne Elisabeth Goutorbe, back in 2008. Because of our long relationship as their US importer, we get a good allocation of their wines—even though they only make between 5,000 and 10,000 bottles per year! Their wines are a statement on the terroir of the Grand Valley of the Marne. In each of their offerings you will taste the power of the wines made from steep, south-facing slopes that are right next to the majestic Marne river. Any other spot this chalky would be planted to Chardonnay, but because of the precipitous steepness and dead south exposure, it is ideal for Pinot Noir. The moderating effect of the water on the temperature preserves acid in hot years and helps with ripeness in cold ones. All of the wines have big, dark cherry Pinot power married to crisp, knife-edge chalk drive.