Champagne Larmandier Bernier, 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Latitude, Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France

Producer Profile

Averaging 33 years of age, Larmandier-Bernier’s 15 hectares of vineyards lie on the spectacular terroirs of the Côte des Blancs:

Vertus, a 1er cru village, as well as the Grand Crus Cramant, Chouilly, Oger and Avize. According to Pierre and Sophie Larmandier, “the creation of a great Champagne, like the creation of any great wine, begins in the vineyard.” This philosophy is why they manage their vineyards biodynamically, harvesting their grapes manually at optimal ripeness to produce extraordinary expressions of each terroir. Fermentation using natural yeasts in a mixture of stainless steel vats, wooden casks and barrels, together with long, slow ageing at either Brut Nature (0 g/l) or Extra Brut (2-5 g/l) allows for the clearest of expressions.

Viticulture

The name “Latitude” was chosen to characterize better this very round cuvée, with its rich, charming style. It is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes which all come from the same “latitude”: the south of Vertus. A generous terroir and grapes picked fully ripe: the Latitude cuvée is the perfect festive Champagne, which nonetheless retains the characteristic purity of the estate’s Champagnes. This non-vintage cuvée contains 40% of wines coming from the estate’s perpetual reserve started in 2004.

Winemaking

The grapes are pressed gently; the juices are clarified very slightly and then go directly into wood. The natural alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeasts) and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in the Stockinger wooden vats and casks. The wines are matured on the lees during their first year, with no filtering or fining being carried out. The blending and the bottling are carried out end of July. The bottles are taken down into the coolness of the cellars, where the second fermentation takes place and maturation “on laths” goes on for at least two more years. Each bottle is disgorged by hand 6 months before being marketed. The dosage is only 2 grams/litre (extra brut!).

Tasting Note

A mouth and nose full of pear, acacia and pastry, it is ample, with ripe yet vibrant acidity and a pillowy mousse.

Food Matching

Canapés with smoked salmon, vegetable crudités with creamy dips, and even light salads.