Bérêche et Fils : Reflet d'Antan 2020

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Bérêche et Fils Reflet d'Antan 2020

Tasting

Color

This champagne reveals a sustained golden hue, touched with warm amber nuances that reflect its long aging on lees and the gentle patina of oak. The bubbles are fine, delicate, and persistent, giving the wine a bright, luminous appearance in the glass.

Nose

The nose opens on an elegant blend of baked apple tart, chamomile, and dried flowers, layered with hints of fresh mint and mandarin zest. This aromatic complexity is underscored by a precise, chalky minerality that becomes even more defined with aeration.

Palate

The palate is defined by silky, polished contours that lead into a long, nuanced finish. Minerality remains at the core of the wine's structure, bringing precision and tension to a texture that is both generous and refined.

Food and Wine Pairings

Thanks to its depth and gastronomic character, this champagne pairs beautifully with white meats served in creamy sauces, such as poultry with mushrooms. It also complements aged pressed cheeses like Comté or Beaufort, as well as rich, sauced fish dishes, where its silky texture and mineral tension provide an elegant counterpoint.

Serving and Cellaring

The Bérêche et Fils Reflet d'Antan 2020 was disgorged in November 2025 and is best served at a temperature of around 50°F to 54°F (10°C to 12°C). This champagne can be enjoyed now, and may be cellared until around 2036 for those seeking further aromatic development.

Other Characteristics

This brut champagne carries a dosage of 5 grams per liter, reflecting a dry, well-balanced style. Malolactic fermentation is systematically blocked, preserving a vibrant acidity that supports the wine's aging potential.

A Champagne from Ludes Built Through Decades of Perpetual Reserve Blending

The Estate

Founded in 1847 in Ludes, a premier cru village in the Montagne de Reims, Champagne Bérêche et Fils has remained a family-run estate for five generations. Today it is led by brothers Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche, who have overseen the property since 2013. Known for pioneering environmentally conscious viticulture and a strong attachment to terroir, the house has built its reputation on parcel-by-parcel vinification and a distinctive perpetual reserve system, placing it among the most respected grower champagne houses in the region.

The Vineyard

Reflet d'Antan draws on several historic plots cultivated by the estate, particularly in Ludes premier cru, Ormes, and Trépail in the Montagne de Reims, as well as Mareuil-le-Port in the Vallée de la Marne. These vineyards, largely planted in the 1980s, grow on chalky, well-drained loamy soils that bring tension and minerality to the fruit, yielding structured, mineral-driven fruit across a mosaic of chalk-based terroirs.

Blend

Reflet d'Antan is produced through a perpetual reserve system, a sort of Champagne solera first established in the mid-1980s. Each year, a portion of the reserve is drawn off for bottling and replaced with wine from the newest harvest, so that every bottle carries the imprint of several decades of vintages. The 2020 edition reflects the most recent harvest integrated into this long-running blend, built from wines aged across five barrels before bottling.

Winemaking and Aging

The Bérêche et Fils Reflet d'Antan 2020 is aged in oak barrels for two years before bottling, following the estate's practice of blocking malolactic fermentation to preserve freshness and mineral precision. The wine was disgorged by hand in November 2025, with a dosage of 5 grams per liter, and is released exclusively in magnum format.

Grape Varieties

This champagne is a blend of the three traditional Champagne varieties — pinot noir, chardonnay, and meunier — drawn from the estate's perpetual reserve, with all three varieties historically present in balanced measure within the reserve.