Our story with the Bérêche brothers began in May 2019, when they were among the first grower estates we visited in Champagne. Together with their father, they manage the family winery, which has been operating since 1847, and has been using organic and biodynamic methods in the vineyards since 2004. The entry-level wines are made with low intervention – they are spontaneously fermented, and then bottled unfiltered for the second fermentation. The cellar has old world charm, the bottles were being disgorged manually one-by-one when we arrived. Raphaël Bérêche welcomed us in an apron with a wrench in his back pocket.

Every year since then, we’ve been waiting for the new shipment with great anticipation. This year's delivery arrived a few weeks ago, and besides the two small batches of rarities (Campania Remensis and Aÿ Grand Cru), we again received some of the estate’s bestseller. The Brut Réserve, which is a blend that comes from a total of seven hectares, from more than 40-year-old vines, is the most important wine of the cellar. The proportion of the three varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) is equal, and a third of the final blend is reserve wine. The unfiltered bottling is followed by bottle fermentation and 2-3 years of ageing.

It has a golden colour, yeasty, cakey notes, walnut and szamorodni-like aromas. The palate is rich in flavour, pristinely pure and generous. This wine has arrived to the forefront of Champagne over the years while keeping its personality and completely unique style.

It was disgorged in September 2023
Dosage: 4 g/l.