Bereche & Fils Brut Réserve NV Base 16. Disg. Dec 2018

Bérêche et Fils Brut Réserve is the estate's house blend and the wine on which its reputation rests, built on the 2016 base and disgorged in December 2018.

The Bérêche family has grown vines at Ludes on the Montagne de Reims since 1847, and brothers Raphaël and Vincent run the house today. They farm around nine hectares, split roughly evenly between Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, at Ludes, Ormes, Trépail, Mailly, Rilly-la-Montagne and Mareuil-le-Port. Herbicides were abandoned in 2003 and the vineyard work returned to hand. Each parcel is fermented separately in barrel with ambient yeasts, malolactic conversion is blocked, and the wines take their second fermentation and long ageing under cork rather than crown cap, which is unusual and accounts for much of the texture. Bottles are disgorged by hand and finished with a low dosage. The Brut Réserve blends all three varieties, with roughly a third of the wine coming from reserve stocks held back from earlier harvests. Barrel fermentation and cork ageing are uncommon at this level, and between them they give a density and a smoky, savoury edge that the acidity carries rather than smothers.

Ready now and good for four or five years. Serve at about 8°C as an aperitif, or with oysters, roast chicken or a mild washed-rind cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.