2014 Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru, Champagne

The 2014 Blanc de Blancs Vieille Vigne du Levant, disgorged in March 2023, rises from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, peach and pear, mingled with notes of freshly baked bread. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and incisive, with a deep core of fruit, considerable tension, racy acidity and a precise, saline finish. Expect a slightly more powerful and more giving rendition than the 2013 and simultaneously a touch more tensile than the 2015.

95 points The Wine Advocate

Larmandier-Bernier ranks among the Côte des Blancs’s—and indeed Champagne’s—most important producers, especially when viewed in a historic context. In 1988, when Pierre and his wife, Sophie Larmandier, took over the estate, cultivating vines was far less common, to say the least, than it is today. Soon after, in the early 1990s, they began working the soils of their vineyards and abandoned the use of herbicides, transitioning to organic and then biodynamic farming. Based in Vertus, the Larmandier family now farms 20 hectares organically (certified since 2004, which coincides with the year they initiated their perpetual blend), with vines in Vertus, Cramant, Avize, Oger and Chouilly. They harvest late, at full ripeness, and have been fermenting with native yeasts since 1999. Depending on the wine, vinification takes place in tanks, concrete eggs and oak barrels of different sizes (mostly from Stockinger), with no new oak used for the vintage-dated cuvées. They believe that using little to no dosage is important to allow the terroirs to properly express themselves—a logical approach given their vinous style. The result is elegantly muscular Champagnes that are concentrated yet precise. In a region that still produces too many meager, brittle wines, Larmandier-Bernier reminds us of the plenitude and texture that great Champagne can offer.

The range begins with two non-vintage blanc de blancs bottlings: Latitude, which is broad and charming, and Longitude, which is more chiseled and incisive in style. Then come three vintage cuvées: the simultaneously powerful yet chalky and incredibly age-worthy Vieille Vigne du Levant from Cramant; the rich and textural Les Chemins d’Avize from the eponymous village; and the vividly saline and tensile Terre de Vertus. The richly flavored Rosé de Saignée cuvée complements the portfolio, now joined by small quantities of still red and white Côteaux Champenois. About 30 years later, Pierre and Sophie’s sons, Arthur and Georges, have joined the family business and are now taking on an increasing role.