Born into a family whose winemaking histories date back to the 1800s, Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche started working with their father Jean-Pierre in 2004 and soon became known for their almost fanatical commitment to quality. They have ten full-time employees farming nine hectares of land using biodynamic practices, in order to ensure maximal terroir expression. Each parcel of vines is vinified and aged separately in barrel. Even en tirage, their wine is under cork, with each bottle disgorged by hand. They keep a solera of sorts, started in 1985, which is drawn off by 2/3 each year and then replaced. It's no surprise that they're making some of the most coveted wines in Champagne.

Le Cran is one of the most expressive wines in the Bérêche cellar. A 50/50 blend of pinot noir and chardonnay from old vines in two mid-slope lieux-dits in Ludes, it's a study in Premier Cru terroir, specifically the mineral intensity that lives in the chalky heart of the slope. As Raphaël Bérêche puts it, this site often outshines the base of many Grand Crus.

The 2018 is the warm, generous side of Le Cran. The growing season was sun-soaked and abundant, and the fruit shows it: ripe orchard pear and yellow apple, candied citrus, brioche, and a thread of toasted almond. Seven years on the lees have layered in patisserie and a chalky line that pulls the richness back into focus. The acidity is rounder than in cooler years but holds the wine in shape, and the finish is long and mineral, recognizably Ludes.