🍇 100% Chardonnay
Region: Champagne, France
The Larmandier cuvee known as Longitude references the fact the Chardonnay grapes grown on the Côte des Blancs lie on the same longitudinal plane (along the fourth meridian) including Vertus, Avize, Cramant, Oger and Oiry.
Farming/Vinification: Since the 19th century, the LARMANDIER family have been cultivating their vines in the premiers and grands crus of the Côte des Blancs. This family has been following Biodynamic viticulture and indigenous yeast fermentation since 1999. Pierre derives a lot of satisfaction from this way of working. The wines are progressively more and more expressive and concentrated. Pierre chooses to mature the wines in casks and wooden vats to enable them to breathe.
Chalk is the keystone of these great terroirs. Among the different production areas of the Champagne appellation, only the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs are situated on the Campanian chalk which is at the origin of the elegant mineral quality of Larmandier-Bernier Champagnes.
Grapes are gently pressed to get a delicate juice and are directly added into barrels to spontaneous natural fermentation as well as spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Each bottle is cellar aged for two years in-bottle, each bottle is disgorged by hand 6 months before sale, with only 3g/L dosage.
Notes: The nose has aromas of citrus, crisp orchard fruits as well as pastry cream and freshly baked bread notes. On the palette the wine is structured with a good body; strong minerality and terroir at first with racy acid and an impressive mousse in the mid palette. This is a definitive loooong wine continuing to develop with retro olfaction.