Pauline Collin Bérêche Montagne de Reims Ludes 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes

Tatler Champagne Guide 2024-2025

Grape Makeup:

100% Pinot Noir

Sweetness Level:

Extra Brut

Ageing on Lees:

~48 months

Price:

$$

Cellar:

Up to five years

Category:

Culinary

What

The inaugural wine under her own label from Pauline Bérêche Collin, formerly of Champagne Collin-Guillaume and wife of Raphael Bérêche of the vaunted Bérêche et Fils, from 2ha of her family's vines.

Where

Ludes, Montagne de Reims; 2ha of old vines, including traditional grapes like Petit Meslier.

Why

Stylistically, it seems clear Collin Bérêche has taken some input from her famous spouse, but the wine has a distinctive sauvage pillowiness that is all its own. The site is highly evocative, with old vines coming from mid-slope on a Cretaceous chalky outcrop topped by calcareous clays and surrounded by steep hillsides.

What Else

Only 1996 bottles of this wine were made, and there were only about 1,000 of the following, 2018 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Rich and dark on the nose, this has a plum jelly, frangipane and mushroom duxelles earthy roundness. Intense froth is suffused with earthy, mossy tones, embellishing yellow plum and dried strawberry fruit of a pillowy, plush texture. An animalic, sauvage finish still has a certain level of finesse and lovely cleansing acidity, finally giving a little malt biscuit to end.

Try It With

A dark meat or poultry dish flavoured with mushrooms

When To Drink

Main course

Perfect For

Your friend who only drinks red wine

TL/DR

Pillowy, dark and sauvage

Supplier

Altaya