Bérêche Ay Coteaux Champenois Blanc Grand Cru 2022

The 2022 Ay Coteaux Champenois Blanc is a rare bird. Sourced from Grand Cru parcels in the legendary village of Ay—an area defined by its steep, south-facing chalk slopes and powerhouse Pinot Noir—this is a white wine of incredible tension and pedigree.

In the glass, it’s everything we love about the Bérêche style: it’s electric, it’s precise, and it carries that signature cut that keeps you coming back for another sip. The 2022 vintage brought a beautiful ripeness to the fruit, but in the hands of the Bérêche brothers, that richness is perfectly countered by a chalky, saline mineral core. You’ll find notes of bruised orchard fruit, lemon oil, and a touch of white flowers, all wrapped in a texture that is silky yet vibrantly alive.

This isn’t just a “still Champagne.” It is a serious, world-class white wine that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the great Chardonnays of the Côte de Beaune, though it speaks with a distinctly Champenois accent.

Production is, as always, incredibly limited. If you want to understand the true potential of Ay’s limestone soils without the mask of effervescence, this is the bottle to pop. Drink it now with a bit of air and some salty snacks, or tuck it away for five years to watch that mineral edge soften into something truly profound.