Champagne Larmandier-Bernier - Terre de Vertus 1er Cru Non Dosé 2017

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Pierre and Sophie Larmandier, along with their son Arthur, have been farming 16 hectares using biodynamic methods for over twenty years. Few wineries, across all regions, can boast such consistency at this high level. The lineup is remarkably well-crafted and offered at reasonable prices. Among the estate’s legendary wines, “Vieille Vigne du Levant” is unquestionably a benchmark for the Côte des Blancs. The style features creamy textures, with balance as a central focus. Within this understated elegance, one often finds the very best the Côte des Blancs has to offer. A highly sought-after estate.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

A very lovely nose, harmoniously blending ripe notes of dried apricot, mirabelle plum, and roasted hazelnuts with the juiciness of yellow peach and nectarine, and the roundness of dried fruits (mango, pineapple). Upon aeration, subtle toasted notes emerge, but without being overpowering. The palate is incredibly indulgent, with a maturity elevated by incredible freshness and minerality. The texture is pure smoothness—light and caressing at the same time—with an endless finish that never tires the palate. A great champagne that can be enjoyed just as well as an aperitif, with a meal, or as a late-night treat.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2017 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Terre de Vertus, made from two east-facing plots in the same lieu-dit of Les Barillers, situated midway up the slope, offers a very mineral, almost crystalline character. This vineyard, which rarely produces powerful wines—even in a vintage like 2017—has retained its personality, though it is a bit more generous and slightly less concentrated than the 2016 vintage. Unfolding in the glass with aromas of lemon zest, honeysuckle, and oyster shell, it is medium-bodied, refined, and briny, and can be enjoyed before the release of last year’s vintage. It was disgorged in May 2023.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The Coteaux Champenois Vertus is a true success: full-bodied and generous, perfectly in tune with the vintage, without ever veering into exuberance.

About the estate:

Although his family is originally from Cramant, Pierre Larmandier has settled in Vertus and produces wine from plots spread across the grands crus of the Côte des Blancs, in Cramant (the sumptuous “Vieille Vigne du Levant” cuvée), Chouilly, Oger, and Avize. The result has been a magnificent “Les Chemins d’Avize” since 2009. Stainless steel tanks and barrels have given way to oak casks, in which the winemaking process takes place without the addition of yeast. The lineup showcases the hard work put into the vineyard (which is certified biodynamic).

Vinous

About the wine:

The 2017 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Terre de Vertus 1er Cru is creamy, open, and very alluring. Readers will discover a generous and sensual champagne that captivates from the very first sips. The winemaking process and aging in oak barrels soften its edges. Aromas of dried pear, crushed flowers, mint, and chamomile develop beautifully over time. It’s a fine result in what was a very challenging year. No dosage. Disgorged in May 2023.