Champagne Bérêche et Fils Ludes Premier Cru Le Cran (Disg. Jul 2024) 2017 1500ml

Driven by Vincent and Raphaël’s desire to bottle “a true picture of the [Ludes] terroir,” Le Cran was first made in 2004. They chose two of their finest old-vine Premier Cru parcels planted by their grandfather, which now have an average age of 50 years. These sites, rich in limestone and chalk, are the highest in Ludes. The blend is equally split between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—the former from the west-facing vineyard of Les Hautes Plantes, planted in 1969, while the Pinot comes from 1973 vines planted in the east-facing lieu-dit of Les Vignes Saint-Jean. Le Cran is arguably the most smouldering, mineral and tightly wound of the Bérêche single-vineyard wines. Viticulture and vine age result in lower yields of concentrated fruit, balanced by super-low pH, naturally racy acidity and intense chalky minerality. The current release is jaw-dropping. A wine like this will go with anything delicious (even if the dream match would be oven- or BBQ-roasted fish). Le Cran is vinified with indigenous yeasts in oak barrels up to 600 litres in size. The current release aged for 72 months in the cellar, mostly on lees in bottle under cork. Dosage for the 2017 was around 3 g/L.