The Bereche family emigrated from Hungary in the early part of the nineteenth century. In 1847 they purchased this 10 hectare estate in Craon de Ludes, located on the Montaigne de Reims, a village that now enjoys premier cru status. Raphaël Bereche farms his chalk-rich vineyards using lutte raisonnée, or minimal intervention, and achieves ripeness uncharacteristic of Ludes.
The Reflet d’Antan is assembled of equal parts of all three varieties (Meunier, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir), aged for several years in neutral barrels.
When the wine is bottled, only one third of each barrel is removed, which is immediately replaced with new wine. Like the solera system used for making sherry, the barrels are never emptied, which is why Reflet d’Antan is never a single “vintage” Champagne.
After the prise de mousse, the wine ages for three more years in bottles finished with natural corks held in place by large wire staples. Riddling and disgorgement à la volée are entirely by hand, and Raphaël tastes each bottle before topping up. Virtually all of the production goes to restaurants in France.
Reflet d’Antan is deep golden, with apple, pear, grilled almond, and spices in the nose, together with a suggestion of the smell of the cool stone in an ancient cathedral. In the mouth the wine is rich and structured, with the flavors of ripe baked apples and stone echoing the nose. A superb wine for rich terrines, fois gras, and shellfish.
Regional History
Le Champagne comes to us out of a rich history of changing fashions in wine, devastating wars, king's coronations, the cork stopper, and verre anglaise, the first glass able to sustain the prise de mousse (pressure of carbonic acid generated by the 2nd fermentation in bottle).
It should be said that the wines from Champagne were first popularized as pale reds in the 16th century. In the 17th century it is unlikely that the fabled Père Pérignon made much other than still wine in his career as meticulous vineyard master at Hautvillers.
The irony of Champagne, the sight of so many of the world's bloodiest battles, is that it provides the wine synonymous with celebration and friendship. Here Roman legionnaire fought Gallic tribesmen; Attila the Hun, after leveling much of the region was finally stopped by Theodoric, the Visigoth. The town of Epernay was sacked no less than 25 times in the course of ancient history and through WWII.
Regional Foods
Champagne’s culinary traditions are not complex. Aside from in the Vallée de la Marne, the Montaigne de Reims, and the Côtes de Blanc where chardonnay and pinot noir vines thrive, little else is grown. Hence, the restaurants of Champagne rely on the best traditional foods from elsewhere in France; Charolais beef from Burgundy, black truffles from Bordeaux, foie gras from Toulouse, and salmon from the Savoie, are not uncommon.
Indigenous dishes exist – mostly based on pork, root vegetables and grains – but the cuisine that best expresses the culture of Champagne is haut cuisine.
The Champenoise have invented a different style of sparkling wine to suit every nuance of this complex cooking: young, crisp Brut or Brut Nature with oysters, some caviar, and smoked fish; mature vintage Champagnes with dishes involving black truffles, cream sauces & certain rare caviar; Rosé Champagne with green herbs, spices, tomatoes, and red meats served rare: Champagne Demi-Sec or molleux with foie gras, cheese plates & sweet reduction sauces.
© Moore Brothers Wine Company
