2015 Larmandier-Bernier 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs, Champagne

Tightly wound, shimmers with fine, frisky bubbles, saline minerality, greeness, hay and straw characters, a touch of red fruits, sour dough and salted rice crackers, a touch of sake in there too. Drives with great energy and through a compact frame, almost skeletal, but for the salty, nutty licks shot through. Cool as.

94 points,Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

Disgorged May 2022
Larmandier-Bernier tend just 1.2-hectres of old-vine Pinot Noir in Vertus, grown on the southern side of the village where the soil is a little richer, with a higher content of clay. These vines are best known as the source for the domaine’s pioneering Rosé de Saignée. Over the years Pierre Larmandier has also made some still wine from these vines (in the past, Vertus Rouge was as famous as the red wines of Bouzy) but until now, never a Blanc de Noirs.
 
2015 was a beautiful year for Pinot Noir in Vertus, leading Larmandier to vinify a white Champagne from these grapes alongside the rosé. It’s made in the same way as the domaine’s Terre de Vertus, with the base wine naturally fermented and raised in a mixture of large cask and vat for 11 months on lees (and bottled in July 2016). Following almost six years in bottle, it was disgorged in May 2022 with zero dosage to preserve the natural richness of the Pinot Noir.
 
The result is a wonderfully complex and vinous Blanc de Noirs. A scintillating cocktail of red apple, sour berry compote and rushing minerals introduces a powerfully structured palate balanced by a rigid spine of freshness, and tense, holding grip. It’s very Larmandier and very delicious; a champagne of exceptional detail, a wow wine. Unfortunately, this release is very limited and the next vintage (from 2019), is a good four years away. Make hay while the sun shines!

Larmandier Bernier has become one of Champagne’s most revered grower producers, celebrated for biodynamic farming, meticulous vineyard work and wines that place terroir ahead of flashy winemaking. Based in Vertus, the family estate has earned a cult following among collectors and sommeliers for Champagnes that combine purity, texture and remarkable precision. Their Blanc de Noirs Premier Cru is a rarer expression within the range, crafted predominantly from Pinot Noir grown on chalk rich soils that bring both power and freshness to the wine.

The 2015 vintage delivers wonderful depth and maturity while retaining impressive energy. Aromas of baked apple, preserved lemon and ripe pear unfold alongside toasted brioche, roasted hazelnut and delicate smoky minerality. There is real concentration here, with layers of red apple skin, citrus oil and chalky tension carried by an exceptionally fine mousse. Time on lees has added richness and complexity, though the wine never feels heavy, instead finishing long, saline and beautifully dry with lingering notes of pastry, spice and crushed stone.

This is Champagne that belongs at the table rather than simply as an aperitif. Roast chicken with truffle, lobster with browned butter or crispy pork belly would all be sensational pairings. It would also shine beside aged comté, oysters with shallot vinegar or late evening plates of charcuterie shared among close friends. Given a little air in the glass, the wine keeps unfolding layer after layer, revealing why Larmandier Bernier remains one of the benchmark names for serious grower Champagne.