Wine List

Nocturne: NV Longitude Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, NV Latitude Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Grand Tasting : NV Longitude Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, 2018 Terre de Vertus Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, 2016 Vieilles Vignes du Levant Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, NV Rose de Saignee Extra Brut

Gala Dinner : 2015 Les Chemins d’Avize Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

In a region where vineyard work is not always given the priority it deserves, Larmandier-Bernier is a model of what can be achieved through conscientious and diligent care in the vines. Pierre Larmandier has been at the helm of this estate since 1988, and today he and his wife Sophie, helped by their two sons Georges and Arthur, farm 19 hectares of vines, spread over 60 different parcels. Fitheen hectares are in Vertus and the surrounding villages of Bergères, Villeneuve and Voipreux, with one hectare planted to pinot noir and the rest chardonnay.

The other four hectares are all chardonnay, in the grands crus of Cramant, Chouilly, Avize and Oger. The average vine age is 35 years across the estate, and the oldest vines are nearly 80 years old. In 1995, Larmandier began converting the estate to organic and biodynamic farming, and since 2004 the estate has been entirely biodynamic and certified organic. A cover crop is maintained between the rows, and the soil under the vines is tilled five times a year, in order to promote organic life.

In keeping with the natural philosophy of their wines, the Larmandiers have used exclusively indigenous yeasts for the primary fermentation since 1999, in the belief that the character of the native yeasts is itself an important component of the site’s terroir. The wines can be fermented in large oak foudre or 500-liter barriques, depending upon the individual wine. “We’re trying to use wood,” says Pierre Larmandier, “as the wine can breathe more, unlike in stainless steel.” At the same time, a balance is sought above all, and over the past few years, foudres have increasingly been preferred to barrels: Larmandier says that an ideal goal would be to eventually vinify everything in foudre, keeping the stainless steel tanks for reserve wines.