Last month, several colleagues from Berry Bros. & Rudd embarked on a whirlwind tour of Champagne. During the course of a productive, if unseasonably chilly, week together, they discovered new partners, unlocked potential for our Asian markets, and reinforced existing relationships. Here, Champagne Buyer Davy Zyw explains more.
It was a pleasure to once again have my feet back on the deep chalk soils of Champagne’s Marne region. I’m always inspired by the calibre of producers we work with here: as many of you know, this is a place rich with beauty, history, and varied terroir.
Yet despite its wealth of quality and diversity, it is a region often appreciated through far too narrow a lens. Even in 2024, there is more to be found, both in the commercial and the natural landscape of Champagne. The views of the region are beautiful, if not as dramatic as some wine regions. But there is plenty of magic, both above ground and below.
It’s a region of exuberant characters, of some of the wine world’s most treasured stories. Its vineyards’ roots, deep in the chalky bedrock, are capable of some of the world’s greatest wines.
Sampling new artisan Champagne
We tasted some outstanding wines during our visits. The current base vintages are on a roll of podium-worthy quality: solar 2018s, intense 2019s and focused 2020s. One of Champagne’s many traits is its capacity to age, and some producers are still releasing back-vintages: we tasted confident 2014s, small-yielding 2015s and 2016s, and even some opulent 2012s and cool 2013s – my personal favourite. These will season our Artisan Champagne offer this year.
Over my last few visits, I have noticed a shift away from wines built on multi-vintage bases, from complexities gained from secondary fermentation, or extended lees ageing. Instead, the best Champagnes of the week were wines made to focus and expose vineyards: details of the varieties grown there, and the hallmarks of the vintage in each.
There were some takeaways from work in the cellars too. A few years ago, only the most experimental or avant-garde producers were keeping still wines in more neutral vessels: glass, ceramic, old barrels or concrete. Often, these were the wines kept on lees for more than 12 months, prior to their secondary fermentation.
Now, these tactics are increasingly common. The wines are more confident and fuller from it. Was this always possible, 10 or 20 years ago? No – it was too cold, the wines generally too thin and acidic.
Today, I believe we’re entering a golden age, where the warmer climate benefits quality. But this won’t last forever.
Champagne’s changing climate
All the best producers we visited are linked by organic or sustainable viticultural practices. They approach climate change with open minds, with willingness to adapt, to protect and build resilience. They still want to produce the best wine they can.
There is a generational focus on sustainable viticulture – 68% of the area under vine is now sustainably farmed, and 44% holds VDC certification. This is targeted to become 100% by 2030.
Individual vineyard quality is encouraged. Often, those certified are the younger generation, who are choosing to farm and produce their own Champagnes from their own vines, rather than selling grapes to co-operatives, or to Grands Marques as generations before them did.
Within this generational shift, there are a huge number of new producers who share an invigorated enthusiasm, helping shape their own narratives and creating wines of unique expression.
It is such an exciting time for the Champagne region, and I’m looking forward to sharing these wines with you soon. We came away from the trip with new producers in our portfolio, as well as new opportunities for our Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and United Kingdom businesses. Stay tuned for our upcoming offer.
Our Artisan Champagne offer is now live. To browse the full range, please click here.
On Thursday 19th September, 100 Berry Bros. & Rudd colleagues set off on a 100km walk, to raise £100,000 for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation – a charity very close to our hearts. Our Buyer, Davy Żyw – the inspiration behind the walk – details what happened over those three days.
I write this sat in a grey, wet morning in Edinburgh. Autumn has arrived in full force, draining light from the day, sharpening the wind and making my nose run, all of which makes the thought of September’s walk even more miraculous and dreamlike.
Arriving into that morning at Beachy Head was surreal: high on the cliffs, surrounded by swirling cloud. The glimpses of rolling sea beneath were swathed by the gold light of dawn, which seemed to emulate the electric current running through us all.
The spirit of energy, excitement and positivity was palpable. In front of us, pure adventure, 100km of chalky paths, life-long memories yet to be made and 1000s of blisters yet to born.
At the point of departure, we had just hit our £100,000 fundraising target. This was a huge achievement in itself and testament to the incredible fundraising of our Charity Committee – as well as the amazing personal donations gathered by every member. But, as I announced to the group in our first huddle of the trip, people living with MND don’t give up at 100%. They need to go the extra mile.
And that’s exactly what we did.
The team at Beachy Head, just before starting
Day One
This was the most dramatic section of the walk, as our path hugged the white cliff lines. The keen beans, led by our fit-as-a-fiddle Private Client Manager Fergus Stewart, pulled off at the front. The huddle of near 100 walkers soon dispersed and broke into intimate groups, often pairs, allowing for deep conversations. Conversations started about wine, work or the walk but often led elsewhere. These rich talks, which melted the kilometres away, were just not possible on last year’s bike ride – and for me, were the fuel I needed to keep me going for the next three days.
Seven Sisters National Park provided us with some shade before we headed inland and up, up onto the South Downs themselves. It was a welcome sight arriving at the gates of Rathfinny, the prospect of lunch and a glass of bubbles around the corner. To our dismay, it was still a good 40 minutes of walking up Cradle Valley to get to our buffet.
The afternoon heat was intense, an incarnation of Day One of our cycle last year. But we plodded and prevailed, up, over and then down onto the banks of the River Ouse – which looked very tempting for a dip as it meandered into Lewes. These last few flat miles were probably the hardest for me out of the whole trip. So hard in fact, that we just had to stop for some needed hydration at Harvery’s Brewery. And with 35km in the legs under a baking sun, that frothy cool pint had never tasted so fine.
After a small detour, we all congregated at camp to admire our support crew’s military tent erection skills. After a very welcome glass of Bibi Graetz, a burger and a massage to relieve the tension in my back and neck it was time for bed. Most of us crawled into our tents at a sensible time, some finished their three-day supply of whisky on the first night.
Day Two
Dawn broke, and the snore-shaming started. Once breakfasted we loaded up, meeting with a few new faces before walking straight up the calf-burning South Downs, looking down over Plumpton College, dodging tractors and livestock. Once into the rhythm of the day, we were all still charged with positivity, but the honeymoon was over. The blisters and injuries were real. I think we all took stock of the enormity of his challenge.
Lunch at Devils Dyke brought Guinness, and to the disgust of our Italian friend Daniele, who had joined us from Giovanni Rosso, mountains of fried beige food – just like home. The afternoon was tough, but each step brought us closer to camp and we rallied together, powered by stimulating conversation, the sharing in vulnerabilities and finding strength in one another.
The team at Chanctonbury Ring
We arrived at Chanctonbury Ring – an ancient site that was once a prehistoric hill fort, and you could just feel it was a place of significance. As we drank in the views, we received the warmest welcome from Wiston Estate’s owner Kirsty Goring, winemaker Marcus and GM Tori, who kept our glasses charged with delicious, cold sparkling wine from magnums. This was a special moment, basking in the later afternoon sunlight, high on life after a difficult day walking, toasting and cheering each finisher with huge applause. None received louder fanfare than our own Lizzy Rudd who, with iron grit, finished the day despite twisting her ankle only two days beforehand.
We bounced down the hill into the most idyllic campsite: neat rows of tents framed by Chardonnay vines. Piping hot showers, wood fired pizza and lot of laughs ensued – then it was time to fall into our tents.
Our campsite at Wiston Estate
Day Three
If it wasn’t the snoring that kept us awake, it was the storm which ripped through our camp in the early morning. Lighting illuminated the blue of our tents as thunder and rain rolled and ripped us away from sleep. What seemed like only moments later, it was 5:40am and time to get up. With almost 70km in our legs, there were many creaking bodies, sore joints and injured feet. The line for the medic tent was longer than breakfast queue, and game faces were on for many who had injuries and fatigue. Today there were a lot of personal battles to overcome.
Motivation came in many forms, including some wine-related fancy dress
We were joined by new faces, light feet, high hopes and our very own walking wine bottle: our Commercial Lead, Simon Robins. The injection of fresh energy gave everyone a boost and all of a sudden I wasn’t wishing the kilometres away, instead savouring every second of enjoyment of the conversations I was having, every step along the leaf lined forest paths we were marching. I made every effort to be present in the moment, knowing this incredible experience was already in its twilight. The Bat & Hall gave us all refreshment, and a chance to regroup. We had Hambledon in our sights, and we arrived to a heroes’ welcome, arm in arm.
Approaching Hambledon in the afternoon sun
The finish line
Hugs, tears, smiles and jubilation were surrounded by the smell of the grill and the sound of popping corks. 100 colleagues had left in the rose gold light of dawn at Beachy Head, three days and 100km prior and arrived into the sunlit scene of Hambledon as firm friends. I hope the lasting legacy of this walk is the relationships we made, bound together by the shared suffering of this epic journey and the physical achievement we accomplished.
Our walk has raised £170,000, and counting. Together with the 325 cycle challenge, we have raised over £600,000 which goes directly into MND research.
The team at Hambledon
It is such a precious thing to be given leave to live, and the fact that Berry Bros. & Rudd encourages these life experiences is something to be cherished. Their involvement and investment in our walk meant every penny we raised goes directly to help those with MND.
This disease is not incurable, it is just underfunded and with every penny we raised brings us closer to a world free of this devastating condition. The research is moving forward. Every month and year there are breakthroughs, but there are a lot of headwinds, and progress takes time to cascade through to patients.
Will a cure be found in our lifetimes? From the neurologists I know, they are confident we will. Fast enough for me? Unsure. But I’ve got no other options as to hope and do everything I can. And I feel so lucky as to have such a strong supportive team around me, mad enough to embark on these crazy fundraisers. I’ve never felt so alive.
There was a lot of discussion about what our next challenge could be.. and right now I’m not sure what mode of transport or country it will be in. But what I do know is that, whatever this amazing business and inspiring group put their minds to, it shall happen. With £600,000 raised so far… Project One Million is on the horizon and I can’t wait to share the experience with you all.
If you’d still like to support our fundraising efforts for My Name’5 Doddie, you can do so here.
Château de Pez has produced our delightful, powerful St Estèphe
Our new Own Selection St Estèphe comes from Château de Pez – a historic winery with a fast-growing reputation. Here, Bordeaux Buyer Georgina Haacke tells us more.
What is it?
Our 2020 St Estèphe is a new addition to our Own Selection. It has been made for us by Château de Pez, a property of increasing renown.
Tell us about Château de Pez.
Château de Pez is a 42-hectare property perched in the north-west of St Estèphe, the most northerly of the Médoc’s four famous communes. The château takes its name from the nearest hamlet, though you’ll see the name “Pez”, which means “peace” in old local dialect, repeated throughout the St Estèphe appellation. (The Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages also own Château Ormes de Pez, for example.) The estate sits on a plateau, relatively high for the Médoc, on well-drained gravel soils interspersed with clay and limestone subsoils.
The estate can trace its history back to 1452, ranking it among the older of Bordeaux’s châteaux. It lay somewhat in the shadows, however, until 1995, when it was purchased by Champagne Louis Roederer. Recognising its potential, the new owners got to work, rejuvenating the vineyard on a plot-by-plot basis, ensuring that the vines are well matched to the soil types. This laid the foundations for the château’s terroir approach to winemaking.
The talented Nicolas Glumineau joined the Louis Roederer team in 2012. He took over management and winemaking responsibilities here as well as at the prestigious Pauillac estate Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (often called Château Pichon Comtesse, not to be confused with its neighbour Château Pichon Baron). Nicolas continues to manage, vinify and taste each of Pez’s 70 vineyard plots in isolation. He believes wholeheartedly in the importance of terroir, and that a truly great wine starts in the vineyard.
What does the wine taste like?
There is lovely power to this wine. It has great succulence, with plenty of plump primary fruits. But there is also a firm backbone of tannins that marks it out as a St Estèphe. The wines of St Estèphe have sometimes been known for their austerity, due in part to the appellation’s cooler climate; being located more northerly than St Julien or Margaux, it is more prone to Atlantic influences.
There is nothing austere about this wine, however. It most certainly has structure and dark, brooding fruits with a smoky edge, but there is also freshness and balance. This makes it a delight to drink now, four years after the vintage, but you could also cellar this for five or even 10 more years.
What should I eat with it?
Our new St Estèphe is a wonderful food wine. It would pair well with most red-meat dishes, or really anything that’s hearty and savoury. Try it with a winter stew or a porcini and wild mushroom lasagne.
How should I serve it?
If timing permits, I’d open this an hour or so before serving. If that’s not possible, a quick decant would also work – just enough to aerate the wine and allow the fruit flavours to fully express themselves.
A bottle of Cristal in its trademark gold wrapper.
From its early days as a royal favourite, Cristal has become something of a cult icon. Here, we explore how Louis Roederer’s prestige cuvée came to be – and why, beyond the regal favour and even assassination attempts, it is a truly exceptional Champagne.
When you think of luxury Champagnes, which names pop to mind? Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger or Pol Roger perhaps. But there is one which often stands alone as an essence of true luxury and opulence: Cristal.
The eponymous Louis Roederer inherited his uncle’s Champagne House (Dubois Père et Fils) in 1833 and renamed it after himself. When his son, Louis Roederer II, inherited it in 1870, its reputation was already sparkling among the great and good of international society – even royalty.
Tsar Alexander II of Russia was a tremendous fan of Roederer’s Champagnes and requested that the bestof every vintage be reserved for him. In 1876, Louis decided to distinguish the house’s top cuvée for the Tsar alone and it was named Cristal after its costly, clear glass bottle.
Champagne and other sparkling wines were (and still are) usually sold in dark bottles, most often green. This is to protect the liquid from light damage. When exposed to lots of light, particularly artificial light, for example in shops or windows, wine can develop “off” aromas and is, essentially, damaged. This is often referred to as “light strike”. Why the clear glass for Cristal then?
Tsar Alexander II’s reign was a tumultuous time in Russia’s history. He was ever fearful of assassination. Indeed, after three assassination attempts, his fear eventually came to be realised in 1881.
As well as its clear glass, there is another distinguishing feature of the Cristal bottle – its flat bottom. Both were instigated by Tsar Alexander at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1867, to reassure him of his safety. At what has since become known as The Three Emperors Dinner, Alexander demanded that the evening’s Champagne be served in clear, flat-bottomed bottles. This would allow him to see the bubbles (in case of a poisoning attempt) and prevent any form of explosive from being hidden in the punt underneath the bottle.
Cristal has been sold in clear, flat-bottomed bottles ever since. To protect it from potential light strike, the bottles are wrapped in gold cellophane. Ideally, this shouldn’t be removed until you pop the cork.
Speaking of popping corks, what can you expect from a glass of this fabled liquid? Typically a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, Cristal is only ever produced in the best vintages, when the grapes are healthy and have reached full maturity. It is left to quietly mature on the lees for six years in the cellars at Louis Roederer followed by another eight months after it is disgorged. By the time it reaches your glass, you can expect vibrant flavours of succulent grapefruit, Williams pear and baked apple. The mid-palate brings the autolytic notes of brioche and fresh pastry and there’s an elegant twist of red fruit flavours from the Pinot Noir.
Whether you’re celebrating a thoroughly special occasion or hosting the dinner party to end all others, your choice of what to drink is Cristal clear.
