Product Profile
Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus 1er Cru Non-Dose
Light-Medium Bodied, Dry, Sparkling, Chardonnay, Drink now or cellar, 12% alc.
Tasting Notes
This is 100 per cent old vine Chardonnay from the vineyard plots of Les Barillers and Les Faucherets situated mid-slope in Vertus. It is from one terroir and one vintage only - 2005.
"The estate's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Nature Terre de Vertus features notes of chalkiness, lime peel and flowers that recall a great Sancerre. This medium-bodied Champagne reveals a focused personality, with notable energy and freshness to spare on the finish. I found it hard to move on to the next wine. In a word: awesome...100% Chardonnay from the 2005 vintage, sourced from the Barillers and Faucherets vineyards in Vertus. The wine was aged in steel and bottled with zero dosage." 93 Points, Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate, December 2008.
Producer
Larmandier-Bernier
The estate is meticulously run by Pierre Larmandier and his wife Sophie. Pierre’s family has owned vineyards in the Côte des Blancs since the Revolution. The estate is now 15 hectares, predominantly in Vertus, at the Southern tip of the Côte des Blancs, yet there are also holdings in Cramant, Chouilly, Oger and Avize. The vineyards are biodynamically worked and the average age of the vines is 35 years; most Champagne vineyards are considered ‘old’ and due for replanting at 20 years. Yields are kept very low by Champagne standards, 50 hl/ha on average. Larmandier-Bernier has been rated as one of Champagne’s top five producers.