Larmandier-Bernier : Terre de Vertus Premier Cru Non Dosé Blanc de Blancs 2015

What a striking nose of wild strawberry for a champagne that’s 100% chardonnay, but the wines of this village always tend in the berry direction. For a bone-dry wine, this is brimming with fruit and exhibits lovely elegance, then turns just slightly more austere at the very long, chalky finish. Still very young. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The 2015 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Terre de Vertus 1er Cru is a brilliant wine that combines textural richness and energy. The aromatics are a bit muted today, but that should not be an issue in a few months. All the 2015 needs is time. The Terre de Vertus is a blend of parcels in the Barillers and Faucherests lieux-dits. As always, the Terre de Vertus is vinified in neutral oak of various sizes. Bottled with no dosage. Disgorged: April, 2021.

An exquisite, subtle nose with deep patisserie and brioche aromas. The palate sparkles with pure, shimmering fruit, revealing notes of honey and orange blossom madeleine, with a hint of licorice, before flowing into a creamy, complex, mouthwatering finish.

The 2015 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Terre de Vertus continues to show well, offering up generous aromas of peach, orange oil, ripe melon, white cherries, buttery pastry, orange oil and dried white flowers. Full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with a vinous, muscular profile and a long, gently mordant finish, it's one of the more powerful wines in the range.