Frerejean Frères, Premier Cru Brut, Nv - Magnum
Frerejean Frères, Premier Cru Brut, Nv - Magnum
- 150cl
- 12%
- White Sparkling
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2034
Frerejean Frères is one of Champagne's more intriguing modern stories: three brothers who made their names in luxury goods before turning their attention to fizz, buying up choice Premier and Grand Cru parcels and working with a quiet obsession for detail rather than flash. This Premier Cru Brut NV is their calling card, a blend built for immediate charm and real precision, and here it arrives in magnum, the format that does Champagne the biggest favour of all by slowing everything down.
Expect a pale gold wine with a fine, insistent mousse, orchard fruit and pastry notes layered over a chalky spine that keeps things honest. It drinks beautifully now, but magnums age with unhurried grace, and this one has years ahead of it yet. Buy it for the table, not the trophy cabinet, and drink it until 2034 without a second thought.
Right now the wine is in a lovely, approachable phase, fresh fruit still to the fore but already showing the first signs of toasty, bready complexity. Over the next two to three years expect that autolytic character to deepen further, with the magnum format slowing the whole process down compared to a standard bottle. It should hit a confident stride around 2028 to 2031, holding there with real composure.
What the critics say:
"Slightly deeper color than the Extra Brut, with honeyed tarte tatin, peach, and crème pâtissière drifting over a soft umami hum. Creamy textured and rounded on the palate, with an elegant, soft mousse and touches of brioche, stem ginger, and toasted walnut carrying it through to a clean, tapering fresh finish."
"A 50/50 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, this elegant fizz has been aged for five years with only a low dosage (sugar) added. Although initially only created for friends and family, it’s now sold internationally, however the house felt it important to stick to their small-scale ethos, leaving plenty of room for innovation. As such grapes are still selected by hand and minimal sulphites are added. Wonderfully aromatic, expect baked apples, honey and almonds on the nose, moving to pear and brioche on the palate. With fine, persistent bubbles, this would wake an excellent aperitif or try serving with charcuterie."
Tasting Notes
AppearancePale gold with a fine, persistent stream of bubbles.
NoseGreen apple and citrus zest mingle with brioche and a faint almond lift. There's a chalky, mineral edge that keeps the fruit in check.
PalateCreamy on entry thanks to the magnum format, then tightened by racy acidity and a saline, stony core. Pear and baked apple carry through the mid-palate with real poise.
FinishLong, dry, and chalky, with a final flourish of citrus pith.
Overall impressionA Champagne of genuine precision, made more generous and more patient by the magnum bottle.
Food Pairings
In Champagne itself, this style would happily open a meal alongside gougères straight from the oven or a plate of jambon de Reims. Locals might pour it with a simple quiche or a dish of andouillette, letting the wine's acidity cut through the richness. It's equally at home with oysters from the Normandy coast, delivered fresh and briny. This is a Champagne for the table, not just the toast.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at 9-10°C, a touch warmer than you might think, to let the Premier Cru fruit and bready depth show properly. No decanting required, though a few minutes in the glass before drinking does it no harm. Pour into a tulip-shaped glass rather than a flute, which allows the aromas to open up and the mousse to behave itself.
Premier Cru fruit for this cuvée is drawn from villages where chalk sits close to the surface, giving the wines their characteristic saline drive and freshness. The region's cool continental climate, tempered by the Marne river, keeps acidity high and ripening slow and even. These are not the grandest sites in Champagne, but they are serious ones, chosen for backbone rather than bravado.
Premier Cru is the second tier of Champagne's vineyard classification system, sitting just below Grand Cru, and denotes villages rated between 90 and 99% on the old echelle des crus scale. It is a mark of genuinely good land without the premium, or occasional over-seriousness, that Grand Cru status can bring. Many of Champagne's best value, most characterful wines come from exactly this tier.
FAQs
What does this Champagne taste like?
Crisp green apple and citrus with a creamy, brioche-like depth, backed by a chalky, saline finish.
When should I drink this wine?
It's delicious now and will continue to develop nicely until 2034, the magnum format buying it extra time.
What food should I pair it with?
Think gougères, charcuterie, fresh oysters, or a simple quiche. It's a Champagne built for the table.
How should I serve it?
At 9-10°C in a tulip glass, no decanting needed, though a few minutes to open up in the glass helps.
Is this worth cellaring?
The magnum format is exactly why to say yes. It will age more gracefully and slowly than a standard bottle, rewarding a little patience.
Why choose a magnum over a standard bottle?
Magnums have proportionally less oxygen exposure per litre of wine, so they age slower and more gracefully, making them the format serious Champagne lovers seek out.
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