Champagne Larmandier-Bernier is one of the true stars 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 established.

The Larmandiers are very much committed to the ideal of producing world class wines that speak of the inimitable terroirs of the Côte des Blancs, rather than using parlor tricks in the cellar. They thus work extremely hard using biodynamic methods to produce the finest possible fruit in each vintage. Their holdings are comprised of eighty-five percent chardonnay and fifteen percent pinot noir. As their vines near 35 years of age, the Larmandiers practice a much more conservative approach to yields than is currently customary in the Champagne region.

Larmandier-Bernier NV Extra Brut Latitude (corresponding to a cuvee formerly referred to as “Tradition”) originates with vineyards on the south side of Vertus, whose relative warmth and weight of soil supports a majority of Pinot Noir, which comprises 20% of this cuvee. Alluringly aromatic, this combines saffron, fennel pollen, fresh apple, freshly baked bread, plus tangy buckwheat and ocean breeze, all of which reunite on a buoyant and polished palate, joined by raw almond and with the saline, alkaline and chalky mineral elements gaining prominence en route to a mouthwatering finish. It ought to merit attention for at least 2-3 years. WA91