Didier Pierson is a legendary figure in the history of English winemaking. The first from France to plant vines in the UK, he remains closely involved with Hambledon, undoubtedly one of England's finest estates. However, as a fifth generation Champagne maker, he is also Chef de Cave at Champagne Frerejean Frères, a relatively small Champagne House based in the picturesque village of Avize in the Côte des Blancs.
Didier Pierson
Founders and brothers Guillaume, Richard and Rodolphe Frerejean Taittinger have pedigree and Champagne in their blood! Their mother hails from the acclaimed Taittinger family, while on their father's side, the Frerejean family were prestigious cannon makers who supplied the French army during the Napoleonic wars. Hence, the cannon and crown emblem on the bottles.
In 2005, they met Pierson in Avize. Captivated by his unrivalled skill, craftsmanship and attention to detail, they were inspired to create a new Maison, producing controlled quantities of artisan Champagne, with Didier Pierson at the helm.
Soon, word about the new Maison spread and demand to taste the highly sought-after Frerejean Frères cuvées grew. Their approach represented a departure from the large industrialised and standardised Houses with the production of low quantity, high quality, artisanal and gastronomic Champagnes driven by terroir and character. Champagne's quiet revolution was underway, with Frerejean Frères at the forefront!
Champagne Frerejean Frères uses only Grand Cru and Premier Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. With a low-chemical approach, including low levels of sulphites, the Chardonnays truly express the region's famous chalky soil, producing poised, elegant and beautifully mineral styles.
"We take a fresh approach to Champagne that respects traditional methods, but leaves room for innovation", explains CEO Rodolphe Frerejean Taittinger. "We produce Champagnes with traditional craftsmanship and rigorous expertise", he adds. "Using fruit of the unique terroir of the Côte des Blancs, our wines are crafted from the best parcels of vines in the area. Our philosophy is simple - respecting traditional methods but leaving room for innovation. The respect for the soil - the terroir - is paramount, with minimal use of pesticides and an unwavering focus on quality."
All Champagne producers are required to age their cuvées for a minimum of 15 months. However, Pierson ages Frerejean Frères wines for longer. It takes between six and eight years to make each bottle of Frerejean Frères Brut Premier Cru and at least eight to make a vintage cuvée. This extended lees ageing adds further complexity and finesse.
Rather than stainless steel tanks for the first fermentation, they only use enamel, an old neutral material traditionally used to maintain both purity of fruit and minerality. "The quality of Chardonnay made with stainless steel is not as good as with old enamel tanks", says Pierson, having worked with both and having assessed the resultant effects on flavours and aromas.
Old Burgundy oak barrels of four to five years old are preferred to new, so as not to impart too many green tannins. They also allow more oxygen, according to Pierson and are replaced when eight to ten years old.
All dosages are added through blind tastings of 0-12g, before Pierson selects the best dosage and the best liqueur d'expédition to suit each wine. For Pierson, "dosage is part of the blend" and it's the quality of the liqueur that's key. "It doesn't matter if it's Brut or Extra Brut", he says. "The sugar level is not as important as the liqueur", adding that they use four different reserve wines for this, two Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs split between enamel tanks and oak barrels.
The range of Champagnes comprises the following cuvées:-
50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir.
Nose: Aromas of baked apple, dried pear, honey and almonds.
Palate: Elegant and mouth-filling with notes of white peach, pear, brioche and a hint of honeyed apple with touches of dried fruit and spice.
Food Pairing: Perfect as an aperitif or with light food, including white meat, charcuterie or cheese.
RRP: £39.
50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir from vines of over 40 years old.
Nose: Aromas of toasted nuts, brioche, citrus and dried fruit with a touch of vanilla and spice.
Palate: Elegant and rich with the Chardonnay delivering characteristic finesse and the Pinot Noir adding structure and complexity. There's a creamy mouthfeel here with notes of biscuit, caramelised apple, spice and dried fruit, complemented by a clean mineral edge with savoury and saline hints plus a long finish.
Food Pairing: A versatile Champagne that would suit oysters and other seafood, but you could also try it with rabbit and hare dishes with their gamey, savoury flavours.
RRP: £45.
100% Chardonnay from Cramant, Avize and Grauves with 50% of reserve wines from 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Nose: Aromas of tropical and citrus fruit with a touch of white blossom florality.
Palate: A creamy texture with good acidity and notes of lemon curd, peach cobbler, tropical and citrus fruit with a long, beautifully refined finish.
Food Pairing: Great with lemon pie or other zingy, citrus-based desserts, but also a sophisticated pairing for a cheese platter.
RRP: £65.
60% Chardonnay from Grand Cru plots and 40% Pinot Noir from Premier Cru plots, with 14% of the Pinot Noir vinified as red wine and 30% of barrel-aged reserve wines added from 2015 and 2016.
Nose: Aromas of red and black berries, brioche and a subtle hint of crème caramel.
Palate: A beautiful example of a fresh, vibrant and gastronomic rosé Champagne that melds red and black fruit flavours with strawberry cream biscuit and fruit crumble. The additional level of liqueur d'expédition adds richness, roundness, finesse and complexity.
Food Pairing: A 'foodie' style that you can enjoy with a range of aperitifs, salmon, seafood, cheese or desserts containing dark chocolate, like Black Forest Gateau.
RRP: £69.95.
Named after Napoléon Bonaparte's light cavalry, this blend comprises 85% Chardonnay from Cramant, Avize, Graiuves and Chouilly and 15% Pinot Noir from Vertus, grown on specific plots of old vines over 40 years old in Premier and Grand Cru vineyards.
Nose: Aromas of citrus fruit, white flowers and stone fruit.
Palate: Elegant, lively and mineral with saline and savoury touches adding complexity to flavours of stone fruit, apple crumble and citrus.
Food Pairing: Very versatile with different types of food from aperitifs to dessert, this would be another great pairing for oysters!
RRP: £120.
100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards in Cramant, Avize and Oger from the 2008, 2009 and 2012 harvests, with some of the vines dating back to 1926, hence the name. This Champagne is aged for eight years and the bottle is sealed with a traditional agrafe.
Nose: Richly aromatic with notes of apple, citrus and brioche with hints of honeyed peach, nuts and spice.
Palate: This classy Blanc de Blancs shows notes of ripe peach and nectarine, citrus, vanilla malt biscuit and toasted almonds with a hint of spice. The addition of liqueur d'expédition that's been aged in old barrels adds creaminess, roundness, finesse and sophistication, while acidity remains lively throughout.
Food Pairing: For richly flavoured dishes, including game, strong cheeses or fish in a creamy/buttery sauce.
RRP: £105.
100% Chardonnay from Premier Cru vineyards in Grauves, Avize and Chouilly. The wine spent 12 months in the dark at sea, at a depth of 60 metres off the coast of Quessant Island in Brittany, with water pressure of 7 atmospheres and a temperature of around 10°C. Aged for 12 years in the cellar, it then rested for 6 months post-disgorgement. The next iteration will spend 18 months in the sea, as Pierson continues to experiment with this fascinating winemaking approach to see how flavours change.
Nose: Fresh and expressive with stone fruit and pastry aromas.
Palate: Freshness, finesse and deliciously rounded flavours of stone fruit and brioche with a vibrant mineral edge. Is there a salty tang? There is certainly a strong sense of this, but perhaps there's also the power of association with how the wine has been made. Maybe I need to try it again blind, just to make sure!
Food Pairing: For oysters or other seafood and grilled fish.
RRP: £825 exclusively from Harrods who stock 60 bottles of this limited edition cuvée.
Frerejean Frères Champagne is sold in hand-selected premium outlets worldwide, but has stayed true to the brothers' original small-scale approach to production.
In terms of stockists, different cuvées are in different retailers, including Hedonism, Harrods, Honest Grapes, Mr Wheeler and The Champagne Company.
These are all beautiful and classy Champagnes. Yet for me, it's the Chardonnay that sings the brightest with an orchestra of flavours, finesse and elegance, emblematic of the Côte des Blancs. Chef de Cave Didier Pierson embodies a modern-day approach with traditional know-how. His expertise will continue to ensure that Champagne Frerejean Frères offers a touch of flair and contemporary appeal to make a contemporary audience think twice about relying on the Grandes Marques for fantastic fizz!
