Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus Champagne Premier Cru 2015

Robert ParkerThe 2015 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Terre de Vertus continues to show well, offering up generous aromas of peach, orange oil, ripe melon, white cherries, buttery pastry, orange oil and dried white flowers. Full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with a vinous, muscular profile and a long, gently mordant finish, it's one of the more powerful wines in the range.

Larmandier-Bernier numbers among the Côte de Blanc's—and Champagne's—finest estates. Based in Vertus, the Larmandier family farm organically and harvest late, vinifying the resulting wines in wood. The result is vinous, elegantly muscular Champagnes that are concentrated but precise. In a region that still produces far too many meager, brittle wines, Larmander-Bernier reminds us of the plenitude and texture of which great Champagne is capable. The range begins with two non-vintage Blanc de Blancs: Latitude, broad and charming; and Longitude, more chiseled and incisive. Next come three vintage cuvées: Vieille Vigne de Levant, from Cramant; Les Chemins d’Avize, from the eponymous village; and the Terre de Vertus. Two perfumed rosé de saignée cuvées complement the portfolio, now joined by small quantities of still red and white Côteaux Champenois. As remarkable for their consistency as their quality, any wine that bears this family’s label is well worth seeking out.

James SucklingWhat a striking nose of wild strawberry for a champagne that’s 100% chardonnay, but the wines of this village always tend in the berry direction. For a bone-dry wine, this is brimming with fruit and exhibits lovely elegance, then turns just slightly more austere at the very long, chalky finish. Still very young. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier er grundlagt i 1971 af Philippe Larmandier i Vertus. Familierne Larmandier og Bernier har dyrket druer og fremstillet Champagne siden den franske revolution. 

I 1988 indtræder Pierre Larmandier i husets drift og i 1992 omlægger han Champagne Larmandier-Berniers drift fra traditionel produktion til økologisk og siden biodynamisk sammen med sin kone Sophie.

Husets vinmarker tæller ca. 50 ha, hvor de yngste er ca. 3 års nyplantninger og de ældste over 75 år. Gennemsnitsalderen er 33 år og markerne er beliggende i Côte de Blancs med parceller i Vertus, Cramant, Chouilly, Oger og Avize – alle ”Cru Village”. 

Druefordelingen er 85% Chardonnay og 15% Pinot Noir der altid høstes via håndkraft.

Teknikkerne Pierre bruger er naturlig gæring hvor vinen efterfølgende ligger på deres grove bundfald i fade fra Østrig der variere i størrelser. Alle marker behandles med individuelle fermenteringer af parceller og  meget begrænset ”dosage” foretages. I visse tilfælde bruges der ingen ”dosage”. Pierre foretrækker ikke at filtrer sine vine, så de beholder deres aromaer maksimalt.