Bereche et Fils, Grand Cru, Mailly-Champagne 2016 - 75cl

Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche farm out of Ludes, and their reputation rests on treating Champagne the way a Burgundian treats white wine. Parcel by parcel. Fermented in barrel on the wild yeasts. Malolactic blocked, so the acidity stays intact. Bottles aged under cork rather than crown cap, then disgorged by hand.

Mailly is one of the villages they bottle on its own. It is a Pinot Noir grand cru on the cold northern flank of the Montagne de Reims, where the chalk sits close to the surface and the fruit ripens slowly and late.

2016 gave nobody an easy year. April frost, then mildew through a wet spring, and a crop cut to a fraction of normal — followed by a hot, dry late summer that rescued what was left on the vine. What survived came in concentrated. In the hands of a grower who sorts ruthlessly, that is not a bad trade at all.

This is 100% Pinot Noir, fermented and aged in barrel, then roughly four and a half years on lees before hand disgorgement and a dosage of about 3g/l. Extra Brut, with nowhere to hide.

What you get is Mailly's cold, insistent side. Citrus oil and green pear arrive first, then fresh pastry, beeswax and a curl of woodsmoke. The mousse is fine, the texture chalky and incisive rather than plush, and a saline drive carries the finish a long way out. There is real concentration here, but it lands as tension, not weight.

Drink it now alongside food, or leave it another five to ten years. The structure is built for the wait.

How to Serve

Chill to 8–10°C and no colder, then pour it into a white wine glass rather than a flute. A Champagne this vinous needs the room. Open it twenty minutes before you intend to drink it.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot on Lamb's Conduit Street, where grower Champagne is treated as wine rather than decoration. Scott's in Mayfair for shellfish and occasion. Brat in Shoreditch, where the wood fire suits the smoky edge.

Food Pairings

Roast chicken with the skin properly crisped is the honest answer. If you want to go further, turbot on the bone with a butter sauce, or a wedge of well-aged Comté.