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With the holidays creeping up on us and gatherings of friends and family at hand, we are happy to remind you of the joys of Champagne at the table. New releases from our favorite growers are streaming in and we're positively giddy, as we taste the latest arrivals. One of the most exciting producers is Bérêche et Fils, where the energetic brothers Raphaël and Vincent turn out a range of inspiring Champagnes, which seem to improve with every vintage. Since taking over the estate in 2004, they have worked organically, and have begun application of biodynamic treatments to a portion of the vines. In the cellar they have focused on fermenting in oak with native yeasts, aging under cork, and bottling with lower dosage. The wines from their vineyards in the Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne are intensely flavored, mineral, and supple, balancing ripe fruit character with terroir distinction. The use of oak, as well as aging under cork rather than capsule for the secondary fermentation of the wines, lends a faintly burnished character, adding an additional layer of complexity to the nose and palate.
We are pleased to offer their latest releases: Les Beaux Regards Blanc des Blancs, Campania Remensis Rosé, Rilly-la-Montagne, Coteaux Champenois Blanc, Rive Gauche Blanc des Noirs, and Reflets d'Antan (based on a single vintage combined with wines from a perpetual cuvée).
RSVP: Terry Theise Estate Selections Champagne Tasting
Perhaps no one has done more to promote the idea that Champagne is not just a luxury brand, but authentic wine made by real farmers than the ebullient importer Terry Theise. Every year we a blessed with a passel of individual, delicious bubbles from a range of Champagne terroirs selected by the man himself. This year as a special treat for Champagne lovers the Terry Theise Portfolio Tasting will offer a 'Consumer Only' Tasting following their trade tasting on Monday, October 21, from 5:30-7:30 PM at The Prince George Ballroon located at 15 East 27th Street. There will be a number of our favorite growers on hand and this will be a great opportunity to taste the new disgorgements before buying, as well as to ask those burning questions you may have concerning, farming, terroir, sulfur use, and dosage.
This tasting is free, and we have a limited number of slots available by RSVP only. Tasting books will be provided to order from at the event and there will be special pricing for the wines on offer to those who attend. This is a great opportunity to meet and taste with these fantastic winemakers, and get a preview of new arrivals. Most wines on offer will be available for pre-order and should arrive later in the fall. John McIlwain
Bérêche NV (2015 Base) Extra Brut Rose Campania Remensis
Bérêche's Campania Remensis is a consistently fascinating rosé Champagne in a category fraught with uninspiring wines. The 2015 base is comprised of 60% Pinot noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier, 5% still red wine. Fermented in barrel, aged under cork for 36+ months. Disgorged March 2019, 4.5g/l dosage.The 2015 vintage has a pale salmon robe with an ultra-fine bead. The nose offers lovely aromas of wild strawberry, sour cherry, blood orange with faint notes of autolyse and wet stone. The palate balances richness and raciness with flavors of stone fruits, green tea, citrus pith, astride a deep mineral core. This is a touch firmer than some vintages of the typically rich Campania Remensis, but the 2015 has great cut and raciness culminating with a compelling savory herbal note on the long and sapid finish. Aging under cork has softened some of the hard character of many wines of the vintage and this has plenty of flair and complexity (though a couple of additional years of cellaring should pay off handsomely). I’ll concede to being skeptical of most rosé Champagnes as the premium is seldom matched by greater complexity or character, but Bérêche makes a convincing argument for the genre due to their meticulous viticulture and masterful winemaking (especially in the inconsistent 2015 vintage). I wouldn't characterize this as an apéritif, but more as a satisfying wine for the table, best enjoyed in a white wine glass. John McIlwain
Bérêche NV (2015 Base) Extra Brut Rose Campania Remensis 1.5L
Bérêche's Campania Remensis is a consistently fascinating rosé Champagne in a category fraught with uninspiring wines. The 2015 base is comprised of 60% Pinot noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier, 5% still red wine. Fermented in barrel, aged under cork for 36+ months. Disgorged March 2019,4.5g/l dosage.The 2015 vintage has a pale salmon robe with an ultra-fine bead. The nose offers lovely aromas of wild strawberry, sour cherry, blood orange with faint notes of autolyse and wet stone. The palate balances richness and raciness with flavors of stone fruits, green tea, citrus pith, astride a deep mineral core. This is a touch firmer than some vintages of the typically rich Campania Remensis, but the 2015 has great cut and raciness culminating with a compelling savory herbal note on the long and sapid finish. Aging under cork has softened some of the hard character of many wines of the vintage and this has plenty of flair and complexity (though a couple of additional years of cellaring should pay off handsomely). I’ll concede to being skeptical of most rosé Champagnes as the premium is seldom matched by greater complexity or character, but Bérêche makes a convincing argument for the genre due to their meticulous viticulture and masterful winemaking (especially in the inconsistent 2015 vintage). I wouldn't characterize this as an apéritif, but more as a satisfying wine for the table, best enjoyed in a white wine glass. John McIlwain
Bérêche NV (Base 2017) Champagne Brut Réserve (disgorged July 2019, 7g/l)
The current release of Bérêche's Brut Réserve is based on the 2017 vintage was disgorged in July 2019 and bottled with a dosage of 7g/l. The wine has a pale peach robe and fine bead. The Base 17 has a pretty nose of nectarine skin, orange oil, acacia blossom, and red fruits. The palate is broad—this is Bérêche after all—but agile, with flavors of stone fruit, wild raspberry, graham cracker and a fine undercurrent of minerality to buoy the supple plushness of the fruit. This has classical lines and a suave, stylish finish and should truly shine when the dosage knits. A great gift idea for lovers of grand Champagnes. John McIlwain
Bérêche, Raphael NV "L14" Champagne Brut Reflets d'Antan Base 14
For holiday celebrations, Champagne is a must. Not just for the festive association of bubbles, but also because it is truly one of the most versatile wines to grace one's table. The inherent acidity of the wine cuts through the richness of the foods, while the bubbles and moderate alcohol invigorate the palate rather than tire it. One of my favorite Champagnes for the table is Bérêche's Reflets d'Antan. Based on a perpetual cuvée dating from the 1980's, the wine combines the vivid, nervy fruit of a recent vintage with the burnished, textural and aromatic complexity of the aged wines which make up the 'solera.' The secondary fermentation under cork rather than crown cap adds an additional layer of finesse with a delicate bead and soft mousse. Better served in a white wine glass to allow the aromas to develop. John McIlwain
Bérêche, Raphael NV (2015 Base) Champagne Brut Nature Beaux Regards Chardonnay
Les Beaux Regards is a blend of two parcels of Chardonnay in Ludes on the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims planted in 1964 and 1970. The loamy clay soils produce a Champagne more vinous in character, rather than exclusively taut and chalky. The grapes are hand-harvested, fermented and aged in wood, and secondary fermentation is under cork rather than crown cap.
Bérêche, Raphael 2015 Champagne Rilly La Montagne
The 2015 is 100% Pinot Noir from Les Sablons in Rilly-la-Montagne comprised of sandy soils over limestone. Fermented in oak and aged under cork, 3g/l dosage. Per winegrower website.
Bérêche, Raphael NV (2015 Base) Champagne Extra Brut Rive Gauche
The Rive Gauche bottling from Bérêche is 100% Pinot Meunier from vines planted in 1969 in the north facing parcel Le Misy in Port-á-Binson near Mareuil-le Port in the Marne. The north-facing slopes and old vines keep Meunier's tendency to over-exuberance in check, preserving the mineral expression of the variety. The 2015 has a pale peach robe with a fine bead. The nose is effusive with aromas of white peach, Meyer lemon peel, orange blossom, Rainier cherry. The palate is broad and authoritative, with red fruit and pungent soil tones and a long, sinuous, expansive finish, with a touch of herbaceousness framing the opulent fruit. John McIlwain
Please join Terry Thiese and Skurnik Wines for a free Grower Champagne tasting featuring 14 leading Champagne vignerons. This is a fantastic opportunity to taste current disgorgements of old favorites and perhaps discover some new favorites from one of the great portfolios of Grower Bubbles!