2020 Bereche et Fils, Champagne, Mailly-Champagne Grand Cru

Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche farm the Les Chalois lieu-dit in the Mailly Grand Cru with meticulous attention to soil health, employing organic and biodynamic practices to ensure physiological ripeness in their Pinot Noir. The winemaking process is defined by deliberate technical choices, including fermentation in oak barrels, the exclusion of malolactic fermentation to preserve tension, and secondary fermentation under natural cork for enhanced oxidative nuance. This site, characterized by deep, clay-rich soils over chalk, provides the architectural foundation for a wine of significant density and structural rigor. The 2020 vintage conditions offered the necessary warmth to develop the wine's characteristic vinosity while maintaining the essential acid nerve and saline energy required for long-term development. The resulting profile is one of concentrated, fine-grained texture, reflecting a uncompromising, site-specific expression of Mailly.