Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Latitude Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

One of the true gems in Champagne, Larmandier-Bernier is a small grower estate with fifteen biodynamically farmed hectares in Grand Cru & Premier Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs. Both the Larmandier and Bernier families have had a long history in the Champagne region, dating back to the French revolution, but it was not until the marriage of Philippe Larmandier and Elisabeth Bernier in 1971 that Champagne Larmandier-Bernier was officially established.

The small house today is directed by Pierre and Sophie Larmandier, who took over the direction of the family estate in 1988. In 1992, Pierre began to convert the vineyards over to organic and then to full-blown biodynamic viticulture in 1999. Ever the purists, Larmandier-Bernier utilize only indigenous yeasts, separate vinification for each cru, and little to no dosage for an unadulterated expression of terroir in their wines. The wines are vinified in a variety of stainless steel tanks; large, old, wood foudres; enamel-lined tanks; or smaller Burgundian barrels, depending on each cru and each vintage. 

'The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Latitude 1er Cru is bright, punchy and full of mineral-driven intensity. Crushed flowers, lemon peel, sage, mint and crushed rocks build as this potent, intensely saline Champagne opens in the glass. This is impressive. As always, the Latitude is a Champagne built on textural breadth and volume, typical of wines from the southern sector of Vertus.' - Vinous Media, 94 points