Bérêche et Fils Champagne Brut Réserve (2023) (750ml)

Bérêche & Fils, based in the village of Ludes, just 15 kilometers south of Reims, stands as the premier grower-producer in this hidden gem of the Champagne region. The estate meticulously tends to 26 plots spread across 11.5 hectares, while also sourcing fruit from an additional two hectares in Ambonnay, Cramant and Trépail. "Anchored in the 2023 vintage and disgorged in January 2026 with a dosage of 4.4 grams per liter, the NV Brut Réserve offers aromas of peach, yellow apple and lemon confit mingled with notes of freshly baked bread. Medium- to full-bodied, ample and pillowy, it is built around a generous core of fruit, with a textural attack and ripe yet racy acidity, concluding with a long, chalky finish. A touch more demonstrative and broad-shouldered than the 2022-based rendition, it nevertheless remains a superb introduction to the Bérêche style and can be purchased by the case. While already approachable, it will improve with additional time on cork. Produced in quantities of approximately 100,000 bottles a year, it remains one of Champagne's most reliable entry-level cuvées." 92 - Kristap Karklins, Wine Advocate