Larmandier Bernier

The History of Champagne Larmandier-Bernier

The estate’s roots go back to 1765, and both families have been present in the Champagne wine region since the French Revolution. The house as we know it was born in 1971, when Philippe Larmandier and Élisabeth Bernier married and brought their vineyards in Vertus and the Côte des Blancs together under one label. The estate’s historic cuvée, then named Tradition, was given its name in the 1970s.

The decisive turning point came in 1988, when their son Pierre took over the estate alongside his wife Sophie. Convinced that a champagne’s true character begins in the soil, he began converting to organic farming in 1992, adopted biodynamic practices in 1999 and obtained certification in 2003. That same year, Pierre Larmandier was named winemaker of the year by the Gault et Millau guide. Accolades have followed ever since, including the Green Emblem awarded by Robert Parker to the first twenty-four estates worldwide recognized for their exemplary environmental practices. Now joined by their son Arthur, Pierre and Sophie have made the house one of the few estates, across all regions, capable of such consistency at the highest level.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Champagne Larmandier-Bernier

The vineyard covers between fifteen and eighteen hectares, divided among some fifty plots across the Côte des Blancs. Its heart lies in Premier Cru Vertus, where the estate has its historic vines, supplemented by plots in the Grand Cru villages of Cramant, Avize, Oger and Chouilly. Chardonnay accounts for more than 90% of the plantings; the rest is pinot noir, with a small proportion of pinot gris, also known as fromenteau in Champagne. Three centuries ago, this grape occupied half the vineyard, but it is now extremely rare.

The range of terroirs is deliberately varied. South of Vertus, deep soils produce a round, generous chardonnay, almost pinot-like despite the grape variety. Halfway up the slope in Vertus, Les Barillers and Les Faucherets yield a delicate, saline and complex wine. In Cramant, the east- and southeast-facing Bourron du Levant plot catches the morning sun and has vines ranging from forty-eight to more than eighty years old. In Avize, Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny share highly calcareous soils and vines around fifty years old that yield floral aromas. The vines average around thirty-five years of age and include a legacy of massal selections made by the Larmandier and Bernier grandfathers. The soils are plowed to encourage deep rooting, yields are controlled and no pesticides are used.

Winemaking at Champagne Larmandier-Bernier

The principle is simple: let the terroir speak. The grapes are hand-picked at full ripeness, clearly setting the estate apart from the early harvesting still common in Champagne. Pressing is gentle, and fermentation begins spontaneously, using only indigenous yeasts since 1999. Most of the chardonnay is vinified in Stockinger Austrian oak barrels and large casks sized to suit each plot, alongside a few tanks.

Malolactic fermentation is allowed to finish, then the wines rest on their lees for around ten months, until the end of July, before bottling. There is no fining or filtration, and sulfur additions are kept to a minimum. The bottles then spend many years in cellars dug into the chalk: two years for blended cuvées and six years or more for single-vineyard wines. A perpetual reserve, started in 2004, adds depth to the non-vintage cuvées and accounts for around 40% of some blends. Dosage never exceeds five grams per liter, and several cuvées are released without any dosage liqueur.

The Cuvées of Champagne Larmandier-Bernier

Latitude, Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs: formerly sold as Tradition, this cuvée takes its new name from the fact that it brings together only chardonnays from the same latitude, south of Vertus, on deep soils historically planted with pinot noir. The base vintage is complemented by the perpetual reserve started in 2004, with fermentation in large, old oak casks and neutral Burgundy barrels. The result is a round, generous and fruity champagne of remarkable purity. Aged on its lees for more than two years, with dosage around 4 grams.

Longitude, Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru: the more finely etched counterpart to Latitude, made exclusively from Côte des Blancs chardonnays along the same north-south axis, in Vertus, Oger, Avize and Cramant. It contains around 40% wine from the perpetual reserve and spends longer on its lees, followed by up to two years of rest after disgorgement. Powerful and full-bodied, it opens in the glass with pear, white pepper, dried flowers, mint and chalk, with a creamy texture and an impressive finish.

Terre de Vertus, Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Non Dosé: a single-vineyard, vintage cuvée from the Les Barillers and Les Faucherets sites, the former vinified separately since 1995 and the latter located halfway up the slope in Vertus. This distinctive terroir produces a wine that is delicate, saline and complex all at once: the balance is already there, so no blending is needed. Fermented in barrels and large oak casks, aged on its lees for up to six years and bottled with no dosage, it is considered one of Champagne’s great non-dosé wines and ages beautifully.

Les Chemins d’Avize, Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs: a cuvée born of a desire to do justice to the terroir of Avize, long subsumed into the Longitude blend. Two plots were selected in the heart of the village, at Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny, where fifty-year-old vines grow on highly calcareous soils and yield floral aromas. Since the acquisition of a smaller press in 2009, their juice has been vinified separately in large oak casks and Burgundy barrels, with dosage limited to 2 grams per liter.

Vieille Vigne du Levant, Extra Brut Grand Cru: the estate’s pinnacle, sourced solely from the Bourron du Levant plot on the eastern slope of the Cramant hill. Levant means east: the vines catch the first rays of morning sun, producing grapes of exceptional richness and power. The vines range from forty-eight to more than eighty years old, and their deep roots contribute to the wine’s complexity. Fermented entirely in oak with lees stirring, aged at least five years on its lees, with a dosage of 2 grams. Historically known as Vieille Vigne de Cramant, this cuvée is a monument to complexity and elegance.

Rosé de Saignée, Extra Brut Premier Cru: a rosé made exclusively by the saignée method from Vertus pinot noir with a touch of pinot gris. The grapes macerate for two to three days before the juice is drawn off, giving it the desired color and, above all, more generous aromas. Fermentation takes place partly in concrete eggs and partly in tanks. Generous, structured and aromatic, this is a grower’s rosé made for the table.

Cramant Nature, Coteaux Champenois Grand Cru: a still white wine made from 100% chardonnay from the Grand Cru of Cramant, produced under the same conditions as the estate’s champagnes. Without bubbles, the chalk comes through with striking clarity, alongside citrus, white-fleshed fruit and vibrant salinity. A rare bottle, produced only in favorable vintages.

Vertus Rouge, Coteaux Champenois Premier Cru: the house’s still red wine, made from 100% pinot noir grown in Vertus. Made with the same restraint as the rest of the range, it favors delicate red fruit, a spicy undertone and chalky freshness over power. A glimpse into Champagne’s winemaking past, worth discovering alongside poultry or white meats.

Vertus Blanc, Coteaux Champenois Premier Cru: a still expression of Vertus chardonnay, produced occasionally depending on the vintage. The nose combines white-fleshed fruit, ripe pear and crisp apple with delicate floral notes, while chalky minerality adds depth. Enjoy within three to five years with exceptional seafood, roasted salmon or tuna carpaccio.