Sparkling wine made in the style of champagne, i.e. using the method of secondary fermentation in the bottle, also has a long tradition outside the region that gave it its name. In 1921, Jean Bernard in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was the first to produce it using traditional methods, forming the nucleus of what would later become the Bernard-Massard Group. In the same year, the first Luxembourg wine cooperative was founded in Grevenmacher. It merged with five others to form the Vinsmoselle Group in 1966. This group produced Poll-Fabaire, the first Luxembourg Crémant brand after legal approval in 1991. Almost 30 years later, the time seemed ripe for a premium update. In any case, Maison Rezbergh was founded around 2020 as the top crémant of the winegrowers’ association, so to speak. Those responsible are the president, the general manager and the cellar master of Vinsmoselle, who hails from Champagne: Josy Gloden, André Mehlen and Charlène Muller. André Holzer was appointed CEO, and production takes place at the Wellenstein winery, which belongs to Vinsmoselle.
The tasting
The range currently consists of three cuvées. The producer’s information suggests that there will be more, as they list also Auxerrois and Pinot Gris grape varieties. However, these are not part of the blend in one of the premiere cuvées. Incidentally, the house is rather sparing with information. In any case, both the non-vintage (like all cuvées) Brut and the Rosé are pure Pinot Noir – which makes the former a Blanc de Noirs. It is a marriage of two origins. Some of the Pinots come from Keuper soils (Schengen), others from shell limestone soils (Grevenmacher canton). The two entry-level cuvées were aged on the lees for 24 months; the rosé was presumably created by blending the (white) vins clairs with red wine. The underlying base vintage for the first two cuvées is probably 2022. By the way, the bottle of Brut we tasted did not indicate that it was a Crémant. Presumably an error on the part of the winery.
The more sophisticated Blanc de Blancs consists of 75 percent Chardonnay and 25 percent Pinot Blanc and has seen some wood. It was aged on the lees for 60 months, which is an indication of 2019 as the vintage of the base wines. In any case, Rezbergh Brut shows a fairly classic orientation in its restrained bouquet with light brioche notes. On the palate, it is remarkably dry and has a pleasant mouthfeel. However, you can sense the very ripe grapes without much fruit expression and low acidity. Overall, not very complex and quite short, but with its own consistent style (87 points).
Brut Rosé is, in a way, its counterpart, because here a stimulating red berry fruit is combined with a (too) high dosage. Nice, lively perlage and again a good texture. To be served as an aperitif or with semi-sweet desserts (87 points). Blanc de Blanc shows clear autolysis notes on an equally quite ripe background. Some stone fruit, honey and brioche on the nose with a beautiful mousse. Once again, it fills the mouth very pleasantly, but seems a little lacking in tension due to the low acidity (with medium dosage). For the rather high price, the Crémant is not complex enough (88 points).
Conclusion
Rezbergh from Luxembourg has made a decent debut. The high-quality appearance is quite convincing. The quality of the products is undeniable, but perhaps the house still needs to work on the freshness. In any case, these are very good Crémants. It is not entirely clear why Rezbergh has removed all references to its parent company Vinsmoselles from its communications. After all, cooperatives in Champagne now produce exquisite cuvées costing three-digit euro amounts. The rather high Rezbergh prices certainly reflect the fact that all the grapes come from the Grand Duchy, with the corresponding labour costs. Customers in the region will certainly appreciate this – whether the same applies to export markets remains to be seen.
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