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Champagne Larmandier-Bernier 1er Cru Terre de Vertus Blanc de Blancs 2015 (Disg. Mar 2022)

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Champagne Larmandier-Bernier 1er Cru Terre de Vertus Blanc de Blancs 2015 (Disg. Mar 2022)
Producer Champagne Larmandier-Bernier
Region, Country Champagne, France
Bottle Size 750ml
Product Code 21107-750

Disgorged March 2022. Terre de Vertus is one of three single-terroir Blanc de Blancs produced at this estate, and certainly the most famous. It is from a parcel of vines situated on the chalky mid-slope of Vertus, traversing the 1er Cru lieux-dits of Les Barillers and Les Faucherets. These sites produce intensely mineral wines; wines that recall the best of Le Mesnil (to the north) in their chalky raciness and drive.

This fermented naturally with roughly 60% fermented and aged in neutral barrique and the other 40% in large Stockinger casks. Malolactic conversion began spontaneously, and the wines were left on their lees for nearly a year. After the second fermentation the wine aged on cork for another six years before being disgorged. There is no addition of dosage in order to respect the purity of the terroir. The result is one of the most distinctive and mineral wines of the entire Champagne region—and one of the benchmark wines of the great grower movement.

Since the mid ‘90s, this wine has always been non-dosé—long before it was fashionable. The Larmandiers made the decision because this particular terroir (when farmed in their way: old vines, biodynamics, low yields, etc) works best without any additions. Still very young and brimming with textural richness and energy, the new release shows a little more flex than the December ’21 disgorgement. Courtesy of a year high in dry extract, the palate is buoyed with freshness and the chalky finish is incredibly long and scintillating. Try it with oysters, terrine, hard cheeses, roast chicken or grilled white fish.

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier 1er Cru Terre de Vertus Blanc de Blancs 2015 (Disg. Mar 2022)

Reviews

“…the 2015 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Terre de Vertus offers up generous aromas of stone and orchard fruit mingled with hints of buttery pastry and blanched almonds, reflecting the ripe, sunny profile of the vintage. Full-bodied, rich and vinous, it's a muscular, fleshy rendition of this cuvée that will need a bit of time to settle down after its recent disgorgement.” 93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
“What 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.”
92 points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

Reviews

“…the 2015 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Terre de Vertus offers up generous aromas of stone and orchard fruit mingled with hints of buttery pastry and blanched almonds, reflecting the ripe, sunny profile of the vintage. Full-bodied, rich and vinous, it's a muscular, fleshy rendition of this cuvée that will need a bit of time to settle down after its recent disgorgement.” 93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
“What 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.”
92 points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

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