Bérêche & Fils Rive Gauche

Vintage: 2020

Origin: Champagne, France

Grapes: 100% Pinot Meunier

Alcohol: 12.5%

Rive Gauche is 100% Pinot Meunier from two lieux-dits – "Maisoncelle" and "La Côte aux Châtaigniers" – in Mareuil-le-Port on the southern bank of the Marne. The 54-year-old vines (planted in 1969) are rooted in clay-marl soils with fossilised seashells on north-facing slopes, yielding low quantities that deliver remarkable textural complexity. Vinified with native yeasts in 350 and 600-litre barrels, then aged for three years in bottle under cork, this makes a convincing case for the oft-underestimated Meunier grape, with just 4,386 bottles produced. The 2020 is exquisite – subtle, nuanced, and all class with a salmon-pink hue and incredibly refined mousse. Pear, mint, spice, dried herbs, plum, and kirsch grace the palate alongside rich aromas of orchard and stone fruit, with soil-driven depth balanced by citrusy freshness. The finish is saline with thirst-quenching bitterness that's enchanting. Disgorged November 2023 with a dosage of just 2g/l, there are few Meuniers out there this elegant.