NV Bérêche Et Fils Brut Reserve
Following yesterday’s dispatch, today we’re featuring another wine that has been an early leader in the “grower revolution,” producing some of the finest Champagnes in the region, Domaine Bérêche.
I had the pleasure of spending 3 hours with Raphael Bérêche at the family domaine in Ludes last year. Not only did I get a tour of the cellar and a wonderful tasting of all the domaine’s current releases, more importantly, I got an understanding of the man behind the operation.
Located in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne, meticulous attention to detail sets this domaine apart. In 2003, Raphael and his brother Vincent decided to completely do away with herbicides. As a side note, it is a recurring theme in our meetings with the growers that they wish to undo the sins of their ancestors in the use of pesticides and herbicides and mock the sales people coming in to sell their parents devastating chemicals, from which they now work to recover.
Since 2003, Bérêche has been farming organically and there has been a push in recent years into biodynamic farming for all parcels (something we will deep dive into in a future email). Raphael is always thinking outside the box and coming up with ways to improve each and every year.
At only 9 hectares, Bérêche employs 10 full-time workers in the vineyards. He keeps the numbers minimal to ensure the labor intensive work is carried out perfectly. The vines are spread out over a number of different areas with the bulk of the vines being from the chalky soils of their home village (Ludes in Montagne de Reims).
Compared to some of the growers we’re meeting today (quite literally today) the Bérêche sites are planted in rather traditional grapes; equal proportions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Combined with the wide variety of terroirs, it provides a great range of blending possibilities.
There is no malolactic fermentation that takes place. Raphael explained to me it's not that he blocks the malolactic fermentation, it's the work in the vineyards along with the very cold cellar that does not allow it to happen naturally. This is one of the reasons that the wines are lean, linear, even sometimes austere but always bright, terribly fresh and mineral driven. It's a style I enjoy!
The Brut Réserve, a blend of 70% wines from the base year (2020) with the balance of reserve wines from the previous years, composed of the traditional blend we mention above; one-third each of the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. A model of harmony, nuance and verve, it is a pure expression of the varied terroirs that demonstrates both the Bérêche brother’s great skill and originality.nnI never get enough!
Depending on your angle, the story starts in the 17th century, or the 20th. Apparently the family were local olive and cherry farmers. Others will say they were winemakers for centuries, boasting family culture deeply rooted in the southern Rhone Valley with its myriad grape varieties and blending traditions. It’s clear the story of heritage is money, but perhaps the real story here is of remarkable women.
Laurence Féraud (pronounced “Fay-row”), an entrepreneurial Tuscan native, came to the Rhone seeking work and began accumulating vineyards. Upon her death, she had also accumulated a husband and two children, Paul and Laurence (a daughter of the same name) as well as 54 hectares. Her husband received a quarter of this land. Meanwhile, young namesake Laurence went off to study business and her brother Paul diverted from producing for other famed wineries, to bottling in 1964. The two had grand aspirations!
With their parents’ help, a seven hectare domain was created in 1987, adopting the name Domaie Pegau and with rave reviews from Robert Parker, Pegau’s well-deserved renown grew rapidly.
Pegau screams Chateauneuf du Pape in all its glory, with each element precisely planned. This is intentional tradition, but with a modernist feminist twist and young Laurence’s finger print all over it. “I wanted to continue in my grandmother's footsteps,” said Laurence in an interview. Having a determined Italian homeschooled winemaker as a mother means imprinting. “I grew up with its aroma, and the smell of the winery. When I was very young she would ask me to taste the wine,” she recalled. Her goal at Pegau was to preserve the distinct family heritage while also expressing the vinous core of her grandmother’s adopted home. “I wanted to make her style, which is a little bit bigger, more powerful and traditional than my father's, which has more fruit aroma and is a bit more wild, more rustic.” This meant using up to 13 local varietals, often fermenting with whole bunches. Laurence wants wines that will last for decades, producing memories.
2021 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée will certainly create memories. Buy now to create yours!
