Reflet d'Antan

There’s plenty of news from the Bérêche family these days. Brothers Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche have decided to focus on their core holdings and wines. As part of this change, they spun out their vineyards in Les Monts Fournois and created a new estate that is being run by their cousin, Juliette Alips, whose resume includes stints at G.D. Vajra, Roederer and Château Latour.

The Monts Fournois range will encompass Coteaux Champenois and Champagne. I was able to taste the first vintages of the Coteaux for this report, but it will be some years before the Champagnes are released. During this transition period to a fully estate winery, Les Monts Fournois will also market the Cote series of négociant Champagnes the Bérêche brothers introduced a few years ago.

Another development is an increase in prices for the flagship Reflet d’Antan, which will now be sold only in magnum. “Most domaines our size use mobile equipment for disgorging and bottling,” Raphaël Bérêche explained. “We want to move these operations fully in-house so we can totally control the bottling process, which we believe is fundamental in improving quality. We are also very concerned about the lack of skilled labor in Champagne and want to be in a position where we don’t depend on outside contractors. Ultimately, my job is to ensure the domaine is in a solid position for the future.”