Larmandier-Bernier - Terre de Vertus Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Non-Dose 2016

The wine team - champagnen.se

THE CHAMPAGNE SOMMELIER

Clean and finely strident stony mineral packed Blanc de Blancs for fine dining. Latest edition more smooth and more creamy.

Jeb Dunnuck

A bright straw hue, the 2016 Champagne Terre De Vertus comes from several parcels in Vertus, and offers up detailed, ripe aromas of custard, lemon curd, and ripe apple, with a richness about it. Full-bodied, it’s long on the palate, with lovely density, and it has a saline touch although it’s ripe throughout. No dosage was added, but you probably wouldn’t guess. It’s ripe up front and finishes fully dry, with a mouthwatering finish. I enjoy this wine a lot and would allow it another year or two, but it’s in a beautiful place already. Drink 2024-2044.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2016 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Terre de Vertus unwinds in the glass with aromas of citrus zest, crisp yellow orchard fruit, brioche, honeycomb and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's bright and chiseled, with excellent depth at the core, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. The Larmandier family invariably excel in cooler, more classic vintages, and this wine is no exception to that rule.

As I've written before, Larmandier-Bernier numbers among the Côte de Blanc's—and Champagne's—finest estates. Based in Vertus, the Larmandier family farms 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. This year sees the release of a one-off Blanc de Noirs, produced from grapes deemed too ripe for rosé production in the 2015 vintage.

Gismondi on Wine

Both the Larmandier and Bernier families have had a long history in the Champagne region dating back to the French Revolution. Pierre took over the direction of the family estate in 1988, moving the family’s vineyards to organics by 1992, and then into Biodynamics by 1999. Brothers George and Arthur are now steering the ship. This exceptional parcel of chardonnay, Les Barillers, has been vinified separately since 1995. It's located mid-slope (the sweet spot) in Vertus. Native fermented in Stockinger casks and 500L barrels, this remained on lees and headed to bottle without fining or filtration, which is rare in Champagne. This cuvée spent at least five years on lees and was bottled without fining or filtration, with 0 dosage, in May 2022. You can feel the wood depth and creaminess here shaping the doughy palate, with toasty green apple, lemon pith and peel on the core, finishing with chalk and salinity. At this point, this is missing the cut of the 2015, but I will revisit. (Treve Ring).

Adrian van Velsen - vvWine.ch