Bérêche & Fils Brut Champagne Réserve NV

95 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide: "The winemaker understood the qualities of the vintage, playing on sensuality rather than structure. Sensual mouthfeel, without excess, with a voluble finish. Remarkable winemaking. (2022)"

94 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(2015 base vintage; disgorged October 2017; 35% chardonnay, 30% pinot, 35% meunier; 35% reserves; half premier crus; average vine age 40+ years; fermented in barrels and small tanks; 10% tailles aged for 2 years before blending to reduce vegetal notes and austerity; aged on lees 24–36 months; 7g/L dosage). Bérêche admits that this is his most difficult wine to make, with an aspiration of richness, finesse, chalk minerality, creamy texture and a clean, bright finish. He is working on its refinement though focusing on the date of picking, increasing vinification in barrel, and aiming to age on lees as long as his special cuvées. The result is brilliantly characterful for the lead cuvée of the house, and to sustain such consistency and impeccable fruit integrity even with a majority of barrel fermentation is a feat few estates as small as this can pull off. The current release is more extroverted and flamboyant than ever, thanks to the ripe and expressive 2015 base vintage springing to life in a full straw hue with a salmon tint, overflowing into a palate brimming with orange rind, strawberry hull and layers of spice. It holds excellent persistence, fullness and presence, while lingering very long with well-focused malic acidity, underlined by the almond notes of at least two years lees age. A characterful and crafted wine of presence, poise and class that rises to the character and complexity of a powerful season, yet at every moment upholding seamless cohesion. (2020-2021)"

92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The new release of the Bérêche et Fils non-vintage “Brut Réserve” is from the base year of 2019 and was disgorged in March of 2022. It is composed from its customary cépages of thirtyfive percent each of chardonnay and pinot meunier, coupled with thirty percent of pinot noir. As has been customary for several years now, one-third of the cuvée is made of reserve wines from the solera Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche have created for this bottling. It was finished with seven grams per liter of dosage. The nose really shows the influence of the pinot meunier in the blend this year, offering up scents of apple, white peach, beautiful meunier floral tones, brioche, chalky soil tones, almond and a hint of oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and still quite youthful, with a fine core, lovely soil undertow, brisk acids, elegant mousse and fine length and grip on the complex and well balanced finish. This is tasty today, but will be even better if given a few years’ worth of cellaring. Lovely non-vintage Brut. 2023-2045+. (May/Jun 2023)"

92 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The NV Brut Réserve is such a delicious wine. Of course, it doesn’t have the singularity of the other wines in the range, but it more than makes up for that with its tremendous appeal and charm. Soft, supple contours exalt the red fruit beautifully. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: January, 2022. Drink: 2022-2030. (May 2022)"

92 points/'Le Coup de Coeur,' La Revue du Vin de France: "Dynamic, vinous and driven with great precision of flavor, the Brut Réserve is one of the most ambitious in its category. (2023)"