It was a rare opportunity to meet the young Adrien Bergère, whose family domaine has one foot in the under-announced territory of Fèrebrianges, with its diverse soils, just 15 minutes south of Épernay, and one in the epicenter of Grand Cru terroir, with a core of enough quantity and variation in vines to showcase an entirely new message.

Adrien Bergère did not suddenly appear with vines and a cellar. He is the next generation of a family that built their sizable estate as farmers in the heart of the Vallée du Petit Morin. At full scale, the family now works 45 hectares. It is here where Adrien calls home and admits having so much great terroir at his disposal at such a young age is a true gift. Barrels and foudre have outnumbered the steel tanks. A solera project has kicked off. And Adrien has a line of Parcellaire wines in the stacks, the first look into his personal findings from his terroir.

The Bergère family has tended vines on the slopes of the Vallée du Petit Morin since 1848, and in 1949, Albert Bergère founded Maison Bergère to better promote the family’s terroir. In 1986, Albert’s son, André, took over the estate and further expanded their vineyard holdings. His wife, Brigitte, established their boutique on Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, which is now managed by their daughter, Annaëlle.

Adrien Bergère joined his parents and sister on the estate in 2014 as winemaker after obtaining his diploma in oenology. He arrived with the desire to further enhance his family’s terroirs and showcase the richness of the Vallée du Petit Morin. To achieve this, he immediately began to vinify all the parcels separately to better understand the diversity of his terroir and isolate the best parcels, which gave birth to the parcel-based range and the two Coteaux Champenois, in addition to the traditional range already established by his family. Between 2014 and 2018, Adrien experimented. He introduced barrels and foudres, which allowed him to analyze his wines on different vinifications and adapt his work to best express his terroirs.

The entire estate aspires to full organic conversion, with 6 hectares currently certified and another 2 in conversion. But Bergère will not include this on the label until the majority of their vines have been certified. With so many hectares under vine, it’s a huge undertaking, and they are moving towards it slowly and deliberately, vowing to work in the best way possible.

Champagne A. Bergère has not seen international exportation until very recently, and is an exceptional example of what Grower Champagne truly can be.

From: Èpernay, Champagne, France
Varietals: 70% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier

Pairings:  Seafood dishes - oysters on the half-shell, grilled scallops, and sushi rolls, particularly those featuring fresh tuna or salmon. Lobster bisque, mushroom risotto, and roasted chicken with herbs. Also smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or an asparagus and goat cheese quiche for brunch. Itscrisp finish also cuts through the richness of fried foods like tempura vegetables or crispy calamari.