2015 Larmandier-Bernier Les Chemins d'Avize Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne

The 2015 Extra Brut Les Chemins d'Avize Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is a broad, ample Champagne that reflects both vinification in wood and time on the lees. Lemon confit, marzipan, dried flowers, chamomile, sage and spice build in the glass. Powerful and resonant, with no hard edges, the 2015 is terrific. It's also a throwback to the style of the time, and one I must say I like a lot. This is a fine effort for the year.

95 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com

The 2015 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Les Chemins d'Avize opens in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, verbena, fresh pasty, vanilla pod and fresh herbs. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and chalky, with a vinous, rather concentrated profile and bright acids, it's a little compact out of the gates but appears to be built to age with grace.

94+ points William Kelley robertparker.com

 Disgorged September 2022. Les Chemins d’Avize debuted in 2009. For this cuvée, the Larmandier family vinifies fruit from two tiny plots in the heart of Avize (Chemin de Plivot, planted in 1955, and Chemin de Flavigny, planted in 1960). Both are chalky parcels with very little topsoil and lie on the lower slopes of Avize, not far from Agrapart and Selosse’s La Fosse vineyard. “Initially, it was really tough for the vines to grow here; the soil is so hard,” Arthur Larmandier told us. “Now, they make really, really great wines.” 

The winemaking is similar to the other cuvées, save for the use of smaller, neutral barrels due to the smaller quantities of wine produced. The wines age in bottle for a minimum of five years and are then disgorged by hand with only 2 g/L dosage. It’s a stunning, racy example of Avize, a little deeper than Terre de Vertus, though more delicate and less fleshy than this grower’s Vieille Vigne du Levant.

Larmandier Bernier Les Chemins d'Avize Grand Cru Extra Brut is a precise and quietly powerful grower Champagne that speaks to both place and purity. Crafted by Pierre and Sophie Larmandier, this cuvée comes from two prized old-vine parcels in the heart of Avize, one of the Côte des Blancs' most revered Grand Cru villages. Their farming is biodynamic and their winemaking is thoughtful and minimal, with a deep respect for the chalk-rich terroir.

This wine is 100 percent Chardonnay, fermented with indigenous yeasts in a mix of oak barrels and foudre. It spends several years on lees before release, allowing the wine to develop fine texture and complexity without losing its energy. The dosage is minimal to let the vineyard speak, and it does so with a calm, confident voice.

On the nose, it’s all white flowers, lemon curd, crushed chalk and toasted hazelnut. The palate is both expansive and focused, with layers of citrus, almond, sea spray and an almost saline minerality. The bubbles are ultra fine and the finish is long, dry and quietly intense.

This is Champagne for purists, collectors, and anyone who loves a wine that rewards attention. It pairs beautifully with fresh seafood, caviar, aged Comté or even something as simple as a plate of salty fries. It’s serious but not showy, and a true reflection of Avize’s elegance and precision.