Champagne Larmandier Bernier, Extra Brut 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs, Longitude, 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

This cuvée originates exclusively from the Chardonnays grown on the Côte des Blancs : Vertus, Oger, Avize, Cramant, which form a line close to the 4th meridian. “Longitude” is also an allusion to the length and the very pure, frank and mineral style of these great terroirs, where the chalk is very close to the surface. This wine contains 40% of wines coming from their perpetual reserve which began 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 yeast) and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in Stockinger wooden vats and casks. The wines are matured on their lees during the first year with no filtering or fining. The blending and the bottling are carried out end of July. The bottles are then taken down into the coolness of the cellars, where the second fermentation and the maturation 'on laths' quietly take place during 3 more years. Each bottle is disgorged by hand 6 months before being marketed. The dosage is 2 g / l.

Tasting Note

Aromas of white flowers, citrus fruit and oyster shell. Tangy acidity, informed by the long and cool growing season, with mineral-laden undertones, leads to a chalky, long-lasting finish.

Food Matching

Grilled turbot and scallpops or serve as an aperitif with olives and charcuterie.