Our shared journey with the Bérêche brothers began in May 2019, when their estate was one of the first grower champagne houses we visited. They run their family cellar, which has been operating since 1847, together with their father, Jean-Pierre, and since 2004, they have used organic and biodynamic methods in their vineyards. The base wines are made with minimal intervention, undergo spontaneous fermentation, and are bottled unfiltered for the second fermentation. The cellar exudes character, and when we arrived, the bottles were being manually disgorged, one by one. Raphaël Bérêche greeted us in an apron, with a wrench in his back pocket.

Since then, we eagerly anticipate the arrival of each new shipment, the cornerstone of which is always the estate's bestseller, the Brut Réserve. For this key champagne, base wines are blended from a total of seven hectares of vineyards, with vines of over 40 years old. The blend is evenly balanced between three varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier), with one-third of the final blend consisting of reserve wine. After unfiltered bottling, the wine undergoes bottle fermentation, followed by 2-3 years of ageing.

The colour leans towards gold, with yeasty, pastry notes, hints of walnut, straw and an aroma reminiscent of Tokaj’s Dry Szamorodni wine. The palate is rich in flavour, pristinely pure and generous. Over the years, this champagne has earned its place among the iconic wines of the region while maintaining its personal and completely unique style.

Disgorged in December 2023.
Dosage: 6 g/l.