BÉRÈCHE AT THE BRISTOL - Chicago, IL (3/22/2016)
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NV Bérêche et Fils Chardonnay Champagne Les Beaux Regards - France, Champagne
2010 base, 2 g/L dosage, January 2012 disgorgement (not sure on that, the label was quite illegible – I imagine 2013 is actually more reasonable, but that misprinted last digit really looks like a 2 to me). This is what you get when you have super old vines. Definitely shows a bit of oak, but this is massive, dense, and powerful. Both yellow and white fruit, with a chalkiness and thick texture that is simply incredible. Very dense texture, but with acidic lift – this packs a heavy punch but is nimble just the same. (95 pts.) -
NV Bérêche et Fils Champagne Rive Gauche Extra Brut - France, Champagne
2010 base, 3 g/L dosage, December 2013 disgorgement. Super funky in the way that pinot meunier can get. Lots of mushroom, as well as some very rich baked golden apple flavours. This bottles comes off with just a touch of sweetness, though that might be due to the fruit showing much more prominently on the palate. The texture here is similarly dense, but it doesn’t have as much of the velvet quality that the Beaux Regards has. (93 pts.) -
NV Bérêche et Fils Champagne Reflet d’Antan - France, Champagne
2009 base, 6 g/L dosage, May 2014 disgorgement. This was the real underperformer tonight, as it has been in the past. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a bad bottle of champagne – but as the tête de cuvée, this really punches far beneath its weight (though that’s more likely because the rest of the lineup is so damn good). This is again showing very dumb and muted, and although with air, more stuff started to pop out, this never really got to the level you’d expect. There are some muted flavours of green apple, and you can tell there’s good material, but it’s just not showing. The finish is immensely chalky. (88 pts.) -
NV Bérêche et Fils Champagne Campania Remensis - France, Champagne
2011 base, 3 g/L dosage, January 2013 disgorgement. This is a touch herbal for my tastes, as far as champagne goes. That’s probably the only strike against it. The nose is bright, with lots of aromatic white fruit – in fact, on the nose alone, I’d have trouble identifying this as a rose. Quite pretty, and there’s an intriguing touch of green on the palate. Loads of acidity and minerality, but for me, i think this bottle could have used a touch more roundness. (90 pts.) -
2008 Raphaël & Vincent Bérêche Champagne Premier Cru Côte - France, Champagne
4.5 g/L dosage, December 2014 disgorgement. Easily the lightest wine of the evening, in terms of body, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a serious wine. Crazy white hot acidity. I felt the acid reflux kicking up after drinking this. At the same time, there’s a nice subtle ripeness to it, that you can find in the white peach and sweet pineapple notes. But again, the real star of the show here is the death-ray of white hot acidity. Powerfully structured now, this is a very convincing example of 2008 champagne. (93 pts.) -
2005 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Reserve - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Holy shit, this “lowly” Côtes du Rhône could easily embarrass most Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is an incredible bottle of grenache. if more people made grenache like this, there would be a lot more grenache in my cellar. Not a weakling by any stretch of the imagination, this has alcohol and isn’t shy about it. But somehow, despite feeling a bit of the alcoholic burn, this never gets hot. There’s amazing red fruit that has a ridiculous amount of power to it. Very ripe, but not over the top. A touch of animale rounds out the nose and palate, and adds just the right amount of funk. There’s an extremely potent note of white pepper on the nose as well. And through it all, it maintains a delicate floral tone. Magic in a bottle. (95 pts.)