Few growers can match Raphaël Bérêche’s enthusiasm. That energy comes through in wines that faithfully capture the purest essence of vintage, variety and site. Bérêche fans can look forward to several new Champagnes in the coming years, ... As good as the higher end wines are in this range, I often find myself reaching for the NV Brut Réserve, which is reliably one of the very finest Champagnes in its peer group. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com
Although most readers probably associate Bérèche with some of their higher-end bottlings, the Brut Réserve is a real rock star. ANTONIO GALLONI Vinous.com
Brothers Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche have made the family domaine, which dates back to 1847, into one of Champagne’s bright lights with an emphasis on organic and biodynamic farming and structure-building winemaking that leads to wines of power and substance held together by fine balance. Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay, The Sommeliers Atlas of Taste
For those who have been following these Champagnes for the last few years you will have seen the sharp upward trajectory they have been on. Since Raph and Vincent Bereche took over the family estate in 2004 they have transformed this humble operation into one of the most sought-after second wave growers in Champagne, now a prized listing in top restaurants and wine bars in the Europe, US and here in Australia. This is no easy feat given the flood of great Champagne into Australia in particular from the booming grower market and speaks volumes to the quality and distinctive style on display here.
The focus on quality above all has been the driving transformative focus here. This started with the refinement of the various terroirs and old vine parcels the family worked with, they culled the underperforming and invested everything into the sites they believed in. These include holdings in their home village in Ludes, Ormes in the Petite Montagne de Reims and Mareuil le Port, in the western Vallée de la Marne. They also have small parcels in Trepail on the eastern slope of the Montagne de Reims and a prized grand cru parcel in Mailly. These have all been moving toward full biodynamic viticulture since 2004. This kaleidoscopic collection of tiny holdings may seem a little unfocused and unwieldy, but what binds these together is the immense quality and character of these micro-plots. Something which the brothers focus tirelessly on drawing out in their wines and which delivers the incredible unique, and singular cuvees which Raphael and Vincent continue to build their reputation on.
In the cellar there was a distinctive vision too, one which required a lot of skill, time and an artist's flourish. Each parcel is vinified separately and undergoes a long, slow, wild fermentation in old oak. The wines do not got through malolactic fermentation, the preference here is to use that bright, sizzling acidity to buffer the natural richness and weight of the Champagnes. It's a high wire act that Raphael executes with precision. The wines are also all aged en tirage under cork, rather than crown seal, as Raphael believes this delivers a finer mousse and more aromatic complexity. Every bottle is also disgorged by hand.
These Champagnes represent a lifetime's work for the brothers who are now at the top of their game in the vineyard and winery. It's a tiny, artisan operation where everything is hands on and executed with remarkable skill and precision. As to the Champagnes themselves they are incredibly detailed, complex and idiosyncratic wines, each with a personality that reverberates their respective terroirs, delivered in the estate's trademark powerful and intense style.
We have three new arrivals in today's offer plus a few rare back releases wines that we have been able to include albeit in limited quantities. The three newcomers are the Brut Reserve: which has to be one of the best of its kind in the grower-sphere. The Remensis Rose: a wine with a cult following which Jancis Robinson once noted was "...too serious for the swimming pool" and the Grand Cru Ay from 2015, a vintage which played perfectly into the house style here with richness and intensity from the warm year speared with lively acidity and palpable energy. You will note there is no review as yet on the Remensis Rose but given 2019 is the the star of the string of warmer vintages, and the one which retained the most freshness and vitality, you can be assured that 2019 is a brilliant edition of Remensis. In addition we have small quantities of Le Cran, a wine Galloni calls "one of the standouts of the range" and two sought-after Grand Cru offerings from Mailly and Cramant. First in best dressed on these.