Description
Champagne Bérêche et Fils are up there with the finest growers – their home in Premier Cru village of Ludes on the Montagne de Reims, where most of its 11 hectares sit among sheltered, chalk‑rich slopes. The family also farms small parcels in nearby Rilly‑la‑Montagne, Chigny‑les‑Roses, Mailly‑Champagne, Trépail, Ambonnay, Aÿ, and Mareuil‑le‑Port, giving them a mosaic of 20 distinct sites. Their own holdings are complemented by small, carefully selected volumes of Chardonnay from Cramant and Avize in the Côte des Blancs.
Although the domaine dates back to 1847, its modern identity took shape in 2004 when brothers Vincent and Raphaël Bérêche joined their father, Jean‑Pierre. They shifted the estate toward low‑yield, high‑precision viticulture, abandoning herbicides and returning to manual vineyard work long before it became common in the Montagne. With a team sized to allow roughly one hectare per person, they farm organically and biodynamically, preserve old vines, and continue the rare practice of massal selection to maintain genetic diversity.
In the cellar, the focus is on traditional, low‑intervention craftsmanship. Each parcel is vinified separately, fermentations are long and natural, and the wines—naturally high in acidity—do not undergo malolactic fermentation. Most cuvées mature in used 350‑litre barrels, with reserve wines held in larger demi‑muids, and all are bottled without filtration. Extended lees aging under cork, often far longer than the regional norm, contributes to the depth and precision that have made Bérêche et Fils one of Champagne’s most respected grower estates.
About this wine: This cuvée has become synonymous with the kind of extreme quality that can today be expected from Champagne’s finest estates. The current release is based on the 2022 vintage and was disgorged in June 2025. Like its predecessors, the release comprises 65% fruit from the base vintage, with the balance from the two previous years. The blend is split between 35% Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims (specifically Ludes, Trépail and Ormes), 35% Chardonnay from sites across Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne and 30% Meunier from Mareuil-le-Port in Vallée de la Marne. Ludes and Trépail provide the tension, offsetting the depth and texture of the Marne fruit and reserve wines. The average vine age is 40 years.
The hard-harvested fruit ferments naturally in barrel before aging in barrel and tank. After bottling, the wine spends 36 months sur lattes in the Bérêche cellar, and finally, is disgorged by hand (!) with around 5 g/L dosage. This is the kind of fastidious attention to detail you would expect from the finest prestige cuvées, and it shines through in the quality of the wine. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) is spot-on when he writes: “Although most readers probably associate Bérêche with some of their higher-end bottlings, the Brut Réserve is a real rock star.” The style is taut and focused; the wine’s natural density and texture are superbly balanced by crystalline acidity and smoky mineral resonance. Simply, it’s one of the most compelling introductions to elite grower Champagne on the market.
92 points, Kristaps Karklins, The Wine Advocate “The NV Brut Réserve is the foundational wine at Bérêche, and the latest release is based on the 2022 vintage, incorporating a 40% perpetual reserve component, uniting the freshness of the northern slopes and the maturity of the hot, dry vintage. Bursting from the glass with aromas of nectarine, orange zest and brioche, it’s medium- to full-bodied and ample, with considerable density, underpinned by racy acidity and concluding with a chalky finish. The Brut Réserve has seen the most refinements in recent years as it no longer incorporates tailles and now features Chardonnay from Trépail; technically, this means that the pH is lower and the acidity is higher. It’s one of the most reliable entry-level NV bottlings on the market.”
96 points Nick Ryan – Weekend Australian : “A champagne of decadent abundance from great growers Vincent and Raphael Bérêche. Orange zest, apple strudel and its warm spices, some wild flowers and grilled nuts. It’s a champagne that leans into a more vinous style, rich and full through the mid-palate but still managing to seamlessly transition through to a fine, fresh and linear finish.”
RRP $193 Our Special Price $129.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine
