Waris Larmandier

History of Waris Larmandier

The history of Waris Larmandier is that of two Champenois lineages that merged to give birth to an exceptional estate. The Larmandier family's roots in the Côte des Blancs stretch back to the 18th century, established in Cramant, while the Waris family originates from Finland and settled in Avize five generations ago. It was in 1989 that Marie-Hélène Larmandier, heiress to this long winemaking tradition, and her husband Vincent Waris officially founded the estate as a récoltant-manipulant, in their village of Avize. Following Vincent's premature death in 2000, Marie-Hélène took sole charge of the estate, managing the family business while raising her three children, patiently consolidating the clientele and the identity of the cuvées.

From 2010 onwards, the new generation gradually took over. Jean-Philippe, the eldest son, chose to train not in university lecture halls but alongside the finest winemakers in the region, most notably Benoît Lahaye in Bouzy, a pioneer of biodynamics in Champagne. On returning to the estate, he made the complete conversion of the vineyard to biodynamic farming a condition of his involvement. His brother Pierre-Louis, an architect, and his sister Inès, a designer and sculptor, joined the venture, together forming the estate's "racines de trois". This creative trio and its shared values, at the crossroads of art and nature, propelled Waris Larmandier into a new dimension. Demeter biodynamic certification was obtained in 2020, crowning ten years of effort and conviction.

Terroirs and Vines of Waris Larmandier

The Waris Larmandier vineyard extends over approximately 9 hectares, divided into some thirty plots with very distinct profiles. Its main anchor lies at the heart of the Côte des Blancs, in the Grand Cru-classified villages of Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger: five communes whose Campanian chalky subsoils impart to the wines that taut minerality and crystalline freshness that define the estate's identity. These clay-chalk terroirs, among the most prestigious in the whole of Champagne, are the undisputed kingdom of chardonnay, the central grape variety of the Waris Larmandier range. The estate also owns several plots of pinot noir in Chamery, a Premier Cru-classified village on the Montagne de Reims, as well as rare plots in the Côte des Bar and the Aube, offering the winemaker a palette of complementary terroirs.

The singularity of the vineyard lies in the remarkable age of its vines: several single lieu-dit plots come from vines planted in 1939, 1962 or 1963, meaning vines of over sixty years whose roots plunge deep into the chalk to extract an unmatched concentration and complexity. Jean-Philippe Waris has also experimented with a change in vine training, moving from low Guyot trellising to a raised curtain system in order to improve air circulation within the grape clusters, strengthen their health and protect them from frost. Both in the cellar and in the vineyard, interventions are kept to a strict minimum: no chemical products, manual or horse-drawn soil cultivation, biodynamic preparations and respect for the lunar calendar for all viticultural work and disgorgements.

Winemaking at Waris Larmandier

The winemaking philosophy at Waris Larmandier rests on a fundamental principle: allowing the terroir to express itself freely, without artifice. The grapes are harvested entirely by hand by a team of around thirty pickers, following the Champenois tradition of communal lodging during the harvest. Pressing is carried out in a traditional vertical basket press of 4,000 kg, and only the free-run juice, the purest and finest, is retained for the primary fermentation. Since the 2013 vintage, the wines ferment in open second-hand Burgundy barrels as well as in local barrels originating from Avize, allowing for maximum expression of aromatic complexity. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations are spontaneous, driven exclusively by the indigenous yeasts naturally present in the vineyard.

One of Jean-Philippe Waris's most distinctive technical choices concerns the tirage pressure: while the majority of Champenois houses work at 6 bars, Waris Larmandier uses only 4.5 bars during the secondary fermentation in bottle. This deliberate choice generates a finer effervescence, a creamier mousse and bubbles of silky persistence that immediately set these champagnes apart at tasting. Ageing on lees lasts from 24 to 36 months for the blended cuvées, and can reach five years or more for the single-plot wines. The dosage, when used, consists of clarified musts from the estate's own vineyard, and disgorgements are carried out according to the lunar calendar, in keeping with the estate's overall biodynamic approach. The result is a range of precise, straight and mineral champagnes, crafted for gastronomy.

The cuvées of Waris Larmandier

Racines de Trois (Brut) : The entry-level cuvée and a true manifesto of the estate, "Racines de Trois" takes its name from the triple symbolism that underpins Waris Larmandier: three siblings, three grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier), and three terroirs (Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims and Côte des Bar). The blend, composed of approximately 70% chardonnay, 20% pinot noir and 10% meunier, is generally an assemblage of two vintages with no addition of solera reserve wine. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, in stainless steel tanks and in 600-litre Burgundy demi-muids, followed by twenty-four to thirty-six months of ageing on lees. Dosage is set at around 5.5 g/L. On the palate, this champagne unites the structure of chardonnay with the red fruit notes contributed by the two pinots, for a wine that is both indulgent and gastronomic.

Particules Crayeuses (Extra Brut, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru) : The estate's flagship cuvée, "Particules Crayeuses" is a 100% chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru assembling the five Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs: Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The wine is fermented in Burgundy barrels and Avize casks, with indigenous yeasts, then aged twenty-four to thirty-six months on lees. The blend incorporates two vintages as well as approximately 30% reserve wine from a solera managed since 2013. The discreet dosage of 5 g/L allows a chalky minerality of great purity to shine through, against a backdrop of lemon zest, pear, almond and fresh butter. The reduced pressure of 4.5 bars gives this champagne a creamy texture and a bubble of incomparable finesse.

L'Instant de Passions (Rosé) : A rosé blended cuvée, "L'Instant de Passions" combines the terroirs of the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims to compose a champagne that is at once sensual and elegant. This rosé, vinified in the biodynamic philosophy of the estate, reveals delicate red fruit aromas and a fresh, structured palate. It is the most feminine cuvée in the range, conceived as an invitation to immediate pleasure and to the seduction of the Champenois terroir.

Ses Arts (Brut Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs) : "Ses Arts" is a vintage-dated, Grand Cru blanc de blancs sourced from the finest Grand Cru-classified chardonnay plots: Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The winemaking follows the Champenoise method, with fermentation using indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks and Burgundian oak demi-muids. The wine offers a floral and citrus expression, mineral and pâtissière, with the structure and aristocracy befitting the greatest plots of the Côte des Blancs. It is a cuvée that embodies the artistic vision of the estate: precision, character and refinement.

Porte de Bas (Zéro Dosage, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Avize) : The first lieu-dit vinified by Jean-Philippe Waris, "Porte de Bas" comes from a plot planted in 1939 by his great-grandfather Jean Waris, in Avize, just a few metres from the family estate. This zero-dosage, single-vineyard, vintage-dated champagne is a direct homage to the estate's founders. Aged on lees for at least five years, it develops a particular depth and complexity, in which the chalk of Avize expresses itself with striking straightness and intensity. Production is limited to approximately one thousand bottles per vintage.

Les Bauves (Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Cramant) : An emblematic lieu-dit located in Cramant, "Les Bauves" is a plot steeped in history, with plantings dating back to 1962, 1986 and 1998, each generation of the family having contributed to it. This single-vineyard champagne, vintage-dated and zero dosage, ages on lees for at least five years before being disgorged by hand, under an extra-long natural cork. It offers depth, concentration and a chalky minerality of rare intensity, revealing the power of Cramant's old vines. Production is under one thousand bottles.

Les Terres des Buissons (Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Cramant) : Another lieu-dit in Cramant, "Les Terres des Buissons" takes its name from a historic crossroads situated between the Mont Aigu and the Gros Mont, where the winemakers of the four surrounding Grand Cru villages traditionally gathered to take refreshment after work in the vines. This pure chardonnay plot, on pure chalk soils, yields an elegant, rich and mineral champagne, with aromas of yellow fruits, acacia and white flowers. Like all the estate's lieux-dits, it is produced only in very small quantities, and only in years deemed worthy of optimal expression.

La Carelle (Brut Nature, Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Chouilly) : Sourced from the Grand Cru of Chouilly, "La Carelle" is a single-vineyard brut nature champagne, vinified in barrel and aged at length on lees to achieve full, complete maturity. Chouilly, the northernmost village of the Côte des Blancs, imparts a particular freshness and tension to this chardonnay, complemented by the characteristic minerality of the appellation's chalky subsoils. This lieu-dit, with no dosage, reveals the purest and most direct expression of the terroir.

Les Montchenevaux au Levant (Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Oger) : A single lieu-dit plot located in the Grand Cru of Oger, "Les Montchenevaux au Levant" is one of the rarest champagnes in the Waris Larmandier range. Aged according to the same principles as all the estate's lieux-dits (spontaneous fermentation in barrel, extended ageing on lees, disgorgement according to the lunar calendar, without dosage), this champagne expresses the richness and roundness characteristic of the Oger terroir, tempered by the chalky minerality of the Côte des Blancs.

Les Chetillons du Haut (Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger) : Sourced from the most illustrious village of the Côte des Blancs, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, "Les Chetillons du Haut" is a lieu-dit of exceptional tension and minerality. Le Mesnil is renowned for producing the straightest, most precise and most age-worthy chardonnays in the whole of Champagne. This single-plot cuvée, farmed biodynamically and aged for several years on lees, concentrates the quintessence of this exceptional terroir, with a palate of remarkable purity and length.

Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru (Brut) : A chardonnay blend sourced from the Grand Crus of the Côte des Blancs, this champagne constitutes a generous and accessible introduction to the world of the estate. It elegantly illustrates the mastery of Champenoise-style blending practised at Waris Larmandier, with a fresh, mineral palate of beautiful roundness, balanced by a measured dosage and a fine bubble resulting from low-pressure secondary fermentation.

Brut Rosé : A blended rosé Champagne, the Brut Rosé from Waris Larmandier is rooted in the estate's biodynamic philosophy. Combining the freshness of chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs with the fruity aromas of black grape varieties from the Montagne de Reims and the Aube, it offers an aromatic palette of delicate red fruits and gentle spices, with a silky bubble and a mineral finish that bear the unmistakable signature of the Champenois terroir.

La Montagne Sacrée (Coteaux Champenois Blanc) : A still, non-sparkling wine produced under the Coteaux Champenois appellation, "La Montagne Sacrée" bears witness to the estate's ambition to explore every possible expression of its terroirs. This still white wine, crafted from biodynamically farmed chardonnay, reveals the depth and complexity of a great Champenois chardonnay, without the sparkling dress: a rarity that will captivate the most curious and most discerning enthusiasts.