Bereche et Fils Ay Grand Cru 2017
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Champagne Bérêche et Fils, founded in 1847 and led by brothers Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche, is one of Champagne’s most acclaimed grower producers. The Aÿ Grand Cru 2017 blends 75% Pinot Noir with 25% Chardonnay. Aged on lees for seven years. With a low 3 g/l dosage and offers precision and finesse.
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. Raphaël Bérêche joined his father, Jean-Pierre, at the estate in 2004, and in 2009, Raphaël and his brother, Vincent Bereche, fully assumed control of both the farming and winemaking operations. Their father officially retired in 2012. Although the family initially experimented with organic farming, they found it challenging to maintain consistent yields due to persistent mildew pressure. Today, the estate largely adheres to organic practices, with the exception of mildew control treatments.
The Bérêche family has employed sustainable agricultural methods for over two decades, utilizing lightweight tractors to prevent soil compaction and eliminating herbicides from their practices since 2002. In the cellar, fermentation occurs naturally, progressing slowly at cool temperatures. While some 30% of the vins clairs for their non-vintage Champagnes are vinified in tanks, the rest of their wines are aged in 350-liter barrels for eight to nine months. Before utilizing new barrels (as they do not purchase second-hand ones), they rinse them with tailles, which are subsequently sold off. Their winemaking approach eschews filtration, and racking is conducted by gravity. After barrel aging, the wines spend an additional two months in tanks, with minimal solids during this phase. For all cuvées, except the Brut Réserve, tirage is done using cork instead of a crown cap.
Weather: 2017 was a year of living dangerously! An exceptionally warm and dry winter and spring, but the latter brought severe frosts from 17 to 29 April, setting the sorry record for 12 nights of frost. These were followed by a dull, wet and not particularly hot summer, which ended in an almost tropical (hot and humid) spell at the end of August. This sudden change led to a significant increase in grey rot on the ripening Pinot noir and Meunier grapes. The harvest was fast-paced and completed very quickly demanding very precise and methodical selection work of an unprecedented level.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Grand Cru - Village of Aÿ | Lieux Dit 'Froide Terre-Brise Pot'
Grape Varieties: 75% Pinot Nor & 25% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 7 years
Reserve wines: 35%
Age on vines: 60 Years
Disgorged: January 2025
Dosage: 3 g/l
Production: 3103 Bottles
Drink: Now for 10 years
Tasting Note: The 2017 Extra-Brut Aÿ Grand Cru is another stellar wine from Bérêche in this difficult vintage. Even so, all the richness, power and intensity of Aÿ comes through loud and clear. The wine's presence and textural resonance are simply captivating. - Tasted by Antonio Galloni
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. Raphaël Bérêche joined his father, Jean-Pierre, at the estate in 2004, and in 2009, Raphaël and his brother, Vincent Bereche, fully assumed control of both the farming and winemaking operations. Their father officially retired in 2012. Although the family initially experimented with organic farming, they found it challenging to maintain consistent yields due to persistent mildew pressure. Today, the estate largely adheres to organic practices, with the exception of mildew control treatments.
The Bérêche family has employed sustainable agricultural methods for over two decades, utilizing lightweight tractors to prevent soil compaction and eliminating herbicides from their practices since 2002. In the cellar, fermentation occurs naturally, progressing slowly at cool temperatures. While some 30% of the vins clairs for their non-vintage Champagnes are vinified in tanks, the rest of their wines are aged in 350-liter barrels for eight to nine months. Before utilizing new barrels (as they do not purchase second-hand ones), they rinse them with tailles, which are subsequently sold off. Their winemaking approach eschews filtration, and racking is conducted by gravity. After barrel aging, the wines spend an additional two months in tanks, with minimal solids during this phase. For all cuvées, except the Brut Réserve, tirage is done using cork instead of a crown cap.
Weather: 2017 was a year of living dangerously! An exceptionally warm and dry winter and spring, but the latter brought severe frosts from 17 to 29 April, setting the sorry record for 12 nights of frost. These were followed by a dull, wet and not particularly hot summer, which ended in an almost tropical (hot and humid) spell at the end of August. This sudden change led to a significant increase in grey rot on the ripening Pinot noir and Meunier grapes. The harvest was fast-paced and completed very quickly demanding very precise and methodical selection work of an unprecedented level.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Grand Cru - Village of Aÿ | Lieux Dit 'Froide Terre-Brise Pot'
Grape Varieties: 75% Pinot Nor & 25% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 7 years
Reserve wines: 35%
Age on vines: 60 Years
Disgorged: January 2025
Dosage: 3 g/l
Production: 3103 Bottles
Drink: Now for 10 years
Tasting Note: The 2017 Extra-Brut Aÿ Grand Cru is another stellar wine from Bérêche in this difficult vintage. Even so, all the richness, power and intensity of Aÿ comes through loud and clear. The wine's presence and textural resonance are simply captivating. - Tasted by Antonio Galloni
