Larmandier-Bernier : Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 2015

Tasting characteristics and advice for Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 2015 from Larmandier-Bernier

Tasting

Appearance
The color shows a pale yellow hue with subtle golden highlights, reflecting the wine’s maturity and the richness of the grapes at harvest. The effervescence appears as an exceptionally fine mousse of delicate, persistent bubbles, characteristic of extended aging on the lees.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet reveals remarkable complexity that gradually unfolds with aeration. First impressions bring buttery, brioche notes, accompanied by pastry aromas evoking puff pastry and frangipane. As it opens, the nose develops fragrances of dried fruits such as candied apricot and ginger, enriched by spicy nuances of walnut, cocoa, and gingerbread. Touches of honey and apricot jam intertwine with a saline minerality typical of the chalky terroir, lifted by citrus notes that add freshness and vibrancy.

Palate
The attack is immediate and powerful, unveiling striking density and concentration that speak to the advanced age of the vines and the optimal ripeness achieved at harvest. The palate expresses deep complexity, echoing the aromas found on the nose: candied apricot, ginger, dried flowers, hazelnut, and spices follow one another with clarity and precision. The structure harmoniously combines power and elegance, carried by a vibrant acidity that maintains energy and freshness despite the wine’s generous body. The finish lingers at length with impressions of saline minerality and subtle woody notes, leaving a lasting, refined impression.

Food and wine pairings

This exceptional champagne is best enjoyed as an aperitif, where its substance and aromatic complexity fully command attention. It pairs beautifully with seafood and shellfish, especially oysters, where its saline minerality creates a natural harmony. With main courses, it matches perfectly with poultry in cream and mushroom sauces, particularly a preparation with morels that echoes the wine’s woody and spicy notes. White meats in creamy sauces also make excellent pairings. Finally, aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Parmesan find a lovely complement in the minerality and aromatic complexity of this champagne.

Serving and cellaring

Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 2015 is ideally enjoyed in a large wine glass to allow the champagne to breathe and gradually reveal its full complexity. The recommended serving temperature is between 8 and 10°C. While this vintage is already outstanding to taste, it offers aging potential that will allow it to continue evolving beautifully for several years in the cellar.

A Grand Cru champagne from old biodynamically farmed vines

The estate

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier was officially established in 1971 through the union of the estates of Philippe Larmandier and Elisabeth Bernier, although the Larmandier family has been cultivating vines in the Côte des Blancs since the eighteenth century. Since 1988, Pierre Larmandier has run the estate and undertook a complete conversion to biodynamics, certified in 2003, making the domaine one of the pioneers of this approach in Champagne. The vineyard now covers nineteen hectares spread across the Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs, including Cramant, Chouilly, Oger, Avize, and Vertus. Since 2017, Pierre and his wife Sophie have been joined by their sons Arthur and Georges, ensuring family continuity. The house stands out for its unwavering commitment to expressing terroir: biodynamic viticulture, fermentations with indigenous yeasts, aging in large oak casks, minimal dosage, and production exclusively from estate-grown grapes.

The vineyard

Vieille Vigne du Levant comes from a single parcel located in the lieu-dit Bourron du Levant in Cramant, a Grand Cru at the heart of the Côte des Blancs in Champagne. This micro-plot benefits from a southeast exposure that gives it its name “du Levant,” receiving the first rays of the morning sun. The vineyard rests on Cramant’s characteristic chalky soil, with a shallow top layer allowing the roots to penetrate deep into the underlying Campanian chalk. The Chardonnay vines planted on this parcel are of exceptional age, between 50 and 80 years old, giving the wine remarkable concentration and complexity. These old vines, farmed biodynamically for decades, develop deep root systems that draw minerals and nutrients from the chalk, imparting this distinctive mineral signature to the champagne.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage in Champagne was marked by a sunny, generous year. After a mild winter, a frigid spring was followed by a prolonged heatwave from mid-May to mid-August, with exceptional sunshine and periods of drought. These contrasting conditions encouraged optimal ripening of the grapes, yielding berries of great aromatic quality and remarkable balance, while preserving the freshness needed to craft age-worthy champagnes.

Vinification and aging

After manual harvesting at full ripeness, the grapes for Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 2015 were gently pressed, followed by a light settling. The must was then transferred to Stockinger foudres and barrels for spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grapes. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations took place naturally in these wooden vessels, without temperature control or intervention. The wine remained in contact with its natural lees for around eleven months, building richness and textural complexity. Bottling for the second fermentation took place in July, followed by extended aging for nine years on laths in the estate’s chalk cellars. Manual disgorgement was carried out in February 2024, with the addition of a minimal dosage of two grams per liter, before a one-year resting period allowing the champagne to reach its optimal balance before release. This champagne features an extra brut dosage of just 2 grams per liter. This minimalist approach preserves the natural expression of the terroir and the complexity developed by perfectly ripe grapes, without masking the wine’s authentic character with post-disgorgement sugar additions.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay