NV Larmadier-Bernier Longitute

1er Cru Blanc De Blanc Extra Brut

Champagne, France

It’s no secret that I love, love, LOVE bubbles, especially Champagne! Sadly though, it tends to be reserved for special occasions only, and while I am a firm believer in poppin’ a bottle of bubbly to celebrate, I also believe that a boring ol’ Tuesday (Wednesday, Thursday…you catch my drift…) can be deserving of Champagne too! Okay, maybe not regularly, but from time to time.

Larmandier-Bernier is one of the true stars of the Côte des Blancs. Both the Larmandier and Bernier families have had a long history in the Champagne region, dating back to the French revolution, but it was not until the marriage of Philippe Larmandier and Elisabeth Bernier in 1971 that Champagne Larmandier-Bernier was established.

Today the small house is directed by Pierre & Sophie Larmandier, who own just under 15ha in some of the finest villages on the Côte des Blancs. Their holdings are comprised of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir. As their vines near 35 years of age, the Larmandiers practice a much more conservative approach to yields than is currently customary in the Champagne region. Pierre took over the direction of the family estate in 1988, and by 1992 he began to move the family’s vineyards over to organics and then to full-blown biodynamic viticulture by 1999. The Larmandiers are very much committed to the ideal of producing world class wines that speak of the inimitable terroirs of the Côte des Blancs, rather than using parlour tricks in the cellar. They thus work extremely hard using biodynamic methods to produce the finest possible fruit in each vintage. Blanc de Blanc literally translates to white from white, meaning this cuvée is made using only Chardonnay.

Longitude references the fact that the vineyards form a line close to the 4th meridian in the Côte des Blancs. 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.

As a non-vintage, this cuvée contains 30% of wines from their perpetual reserve started in 2004.

This wine is spirited and precise, there is no denying the intense chalky, minerality. Notes of macadamia nut, yuzu and honey crisp apples are highlighted by subtle hint of white peppercorns.

$69.95

(or $154.95 for a 1.5L)