Bereche et Fils Rive Gauche 2021
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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. Bérêche et Fils Rive Gauche 2021 is made from 100% Pinot Meunier sourced from 54-year-old vines in Mareuil-le-Port. Fermented in oak barrels and three years lees in bottle, and a low 2 g/l dosage, offering vibrant freshness and layered complexity.
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.
Made from two lieux-dits of low-yielding 45yo vines planted in a mix of clay, sand and limestone soils on a north-facing slope in Mareuil-le-Port. Vinified in 350 and 600ltr barrels and aged for three years in bottle under cork, it already shows a subtle complexity, with a soil-driven depth of flavours and citrusy freshness, buttressing pinot meunier's rich aromas of orchard and stone fruit.
Weather: The 2021 Champagne vintage was one of the most challenging in recent decades, marked by severe spring frosts, persistent rain, and widespread mildew that drastically reduced yields — in some areas to just 10–20% of normal production. The cool, damp growing season led to uneven ripening, but the grapes that survived produced wines noted for their freshness, purity, and high acidity, reflecting a more classical, restrained Champagne style. Overall quality was highly variable across producers and vineyards, making 2021 a small but potentially interesting vintage for those able to harvest healthy fruit.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Autre Cru - Mareuil-Le-Port | Located in the Vallée de la Marne
Parcels: Maisoncelle & La Côte aux Châtaigners
Grape Varieties: 100% Meunier
Base Vintage: 2021
Vines Planted: In 1969
Age of vines: 54 Years
Lees Ageing: 2 years
Disgorged: November 2024
Dosage: 2 g/l
Production: 2851 Bottles
Drink: Now for 5 years
Tasting Note: The 2021 Extra-Brut Rive Gauche, 100% Meunier on clay, is floral and effusive right out of the gate. Crushed flowers, kirsch, cranberry and dried pear are all beautifully sculpted. The texture of the mousse is so silky, so finessed. The 2021 is incredibly impressive, especially within the context of the year. - 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.
Made from two lieux-dits of low-yielding 45yo vines planted in a mix of clay, sand and limestone soils on a north-facing slope in Mareuil-le-Port. Vinified in 350 and 600ltr barrels and aged for three years in bottle under cork, it already shows a subtle complexity, with a soil-driven depth of flavours and citrusy freshness, buttressing pinot meunier's rich aromas of orchard and stone fruit.
Weather: The 2021 Champagne vintage was one of the most challenging in recent decades, marked by severe spring frosts, persistent rain, and widespread mildew that drastically reduced yields — in some areas to just 10–20% of normal production. The cool, damp growing season led to uneven ripening, but the grapes that survived produced wines noted for their freshness, purity, and high acidity, reflecting a more classical, restrained Champagne style. Overall quality was highly variable across producers and vineyards, making 2021 a small but potentially interesting vintage for those able to harvest healthy fruit.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Autre Cru - Mareuil-Le-Port | Located in the Vallée de la Marne
Parcels: Maisoncelle & La Côte aux Châtaigners
Grape Varieties: 100% Meunier
Base Vintage: 2021
Vines Planted: In 1969
Age of vines: 54 Years
Lees Ageing: 2 years
Disgorged: November 2024
Dosage: 2 g/l
Production: 2851 Bottles
Drink: Now for 5 years
Tasting Note: The 2021 Extra-Brut Rive Gauche, 100% Meunier on clay, is floral and effusive right out of the gate. Crushed flowers, kirsch, cranberry and dried pear are all beautifully sculpted. The texture of the mousse is so silky, so finessed. The 2021 is incredibly impressive, especially within the context of the year. - Tasted by Antonio Galloni
