Larmandier-Bernier Longitude Premier Cru Extra Brut
57.22₣ (Exc. VAT bot. 75 cl.) / Switzerland
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Its fruit sources spanning all of the prominent villages along the Cote des Blancs in which they have holdings is what prompted Larmandier-Bernier’s NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude L1009-12 to acquire its current name. (It was long simply referred to as the estate’s “Blanc de Blancs.”) Nutty, herbal suffusion of pear, lemon, and green zebra tomato makes for a succulently juicy as well as intriguing cuvee that contrasts sharply – no doubt as intended – with the corresponding “Latitude” bottling. Here we haven’t the aromatic fireworks – though a haunting evocation of flowered, grassy meadow emerges as the wine sits open – but there is an especially fascinating mid-palate exchange with, in part, ineffable elements of broadly mineral nature, leading to a finish of remarkable salivary compulsion and sheer length. This exceptional value in Champagne should merit following for at least 3-4 years.
Features
Type of wine
Pairings
Style
Occasions
Winery
Size
Appellation
Alcohol
12.5%
Grapes
Serving
Between 10ºC and 12ºC
Winemaking
Minimum ageing of 4 years in bottle before disgorgement.
Description
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Larmandier family was already bottling their Blanc de Blancs in Vertus, in the south of the prestigious Côte des Blancs. But it was with Pierre and Sophie Larmandier that this tradition took a radical turn towards purity and terroir expression. Larmandier-Bernier Longitude Premier Cru is born from an invisible line linking Vertus, Oger, Avize and Cramant, four Premier Cru and Grand Cru villages that align almost perfectly on the 4th meridian. On these soils of pure chalk, worked biodynamically since 1999, the Chardonnay vines are cultivated without herbicides or added yeasts, letting the soil speak without filters. The commitment to minimal intervention has been a courageous constant in the winery's philosophy, even when it was easy to follow the conventional path.
Winemaking
The grapes destined for Larmandier-Bernier Longitude Premier Cru are gently pressed and the must goes directly into barrels and oak vats without intensive clarification. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place spontaneously, thanks to indigenous yeasts. The wine remains on its lees for a year without racking, clarification or filtering. The final blend of Larmandier-Bernier Longitude Premier Cru is made in July, including 40% of reserve wines that have been kept since 2004 in a sort of perpetual solera. The wine then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle and rests in rhyme for at least two years. Manual disgorgement and an extra brut dosage of only 2g/l complete this Champagne.
Taste
Fine, vertical, pure. Larmandier-Bernier Longitude Premier Cru displays on the nose notes of wet chalk, ripe lemon, green apple and a touch of dried white flower. This is not a Champagne of exuberance, but of precision. The palate shows electric acidity, enveloping and saline, with very fine bubbles that caress the palate. The texture is creamy without losing tension, and the finish is long, marked by minerality, with hints of grapefruit, raw almond and iodine. Larmandier-Bernier Longitude Premier Cru does not seek to impress with volume, but with direction. It is a Champagne to be drunk with the head and remembered with the soul.
Shipping to Switzerland
50% discount on orders over 377.73₣*Estimated transit time: 6-7 working days.
| Bottles | Price | Over 377.73₣* |
|---|---|---|
| 1-6 | 22.81₣ | 11.40₣ (-11.40₣) |
| 7-12 | 28.24₣ | 14.12₣ (-14.12₣) |
| 13-18 | 34.85₣ | 17.42₣ (-17.42₣) |
| 19-24 | 43.82₣ | 21.91₣ (-21.91₣) |
| 25-30 | 49.10₣ | 24.55₣ (-24.55₣) |
| 31-36 | 54.77₣ | 27.39₣ (-27.39₣) |
| 37-42 | 58.55₣ | 29.27₣ (-29.27₣) |
| 43-48 | 60.44₣ | 30.22₣ (-30.22₣) |
| 49-54 | 66.10₣ | 33.05₣ (-33.05₣) |
| 55-60 | 71.77₣ | 35.88₣ (-35.88₣) |
| VAT not included | ||
** Shipments to Switzerland include transport costs, insurance and export costs (SAD in origin), but not customs duties (SAD at destination) and local taxes.
***At Gourmet Hunters wine prices are exempt from 21% VAT for all shipments to Switzerland. Once in your shopping cart select Switzerland as delivery address to enjoy your order tax free.
Appellation Map
Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus Premier Cru Brut Nature 2017
78.14₣
74.25₣/ud (-5%)
Others: 2015 Magnum
Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus Premier Cru Brut Nature 2015 Magnum
164.78₣
Others: 2017 75 cl.
Larmandier-Bernier Latitude Extra Brut
50.12₣
47.63₣/ud (-5%)
Other sizes: Magnum, Doble Magnum
