Larmandier-Bernier
Larmandier-Bernier farms around 15 hectares along the Côte des Blancs, spread across seventeen parcels in Vertus, Cramant, Chouilly, Oger and Avize. Pierre and Sophie Larmandier have run the house since 1988 and work biodynamically, with the vineyards herbicide-free since 1992. Chardonnay accounts for 85 percent of the area, Pinot Noir the remaining 15. The soils are chalk, and in the champagnes this shows as a chalky thread behind yellow citrus fruit and herbal spice. Dosage never exceeds four grams of sugar per litre, and is often zero. Since 2017 Arthur Larmandier has worked alongside his parents, joined since 2021 by Georges Larmandier.
Pierre and Sophie Larmandier in Vertus
In 1982 Pierre Larmandier's father died at 44, his son was eighteen at the time. Elisabeth Larmandier continued running the estate while Pierre Larmandier studied economics; in 1988 he joined the house together with Sophie Larmandier. From then on, the work in the vineyards changed step by step: in 1992 herbicides were abandoned, and later the house converted fully to biodynamics, making it one of the earliest biodynamic estates in Champagne. The family later left the certifying body, finding it too rigid.
Seventeen parcels on chalk
The vines stand across seventeen parcels along the Côte des Blancs, as Premier Cru in Vertus and as Grand Cru in Cramant, Chouilly, Oger and Avize. Some vines are up to ninety years old. The Longitude carries the fourth meridian in its name and comes from sites in Vertus, Oger, Avize and Cramant, where the chalk lies close to the surface beneath a thin layer of organic matter; 40 percent reserve wine from the oak barrel of the ongoing reserve gives it depth, with dosage usually around four grams. The Latitude comes from the southern sites of Vertus, whose warmth gives it richness.
Fermentation in tonneaux and Stockinger foudres
Sophie Larmandier runs the cellar. The musts ferment spontaneously with their own yeasts, ageing takes place in tonneaux and in large foudres from the Austrian cooperage Stockinger, and gentle lees stirring rounds out the texture. The wines remain unfined and unfiltered. For the Terre de Vertus Premier Cru, dosage is omitted entirely. The Pinot Noir yields the Rosé de Saignée Premier Cru, which behind its fruity nose shows a savoury spice and a long finish. The top of the range is formed by the Vieille Vigne du Levant, from old Grand Cru vines, and Les Chemins d'Avize.
Arthur and Georges Larmandier
Arthur Larmandier has worked at the estate since 2017, his brother Georges since 2021, and the handover to the next generation has thus begun. This changes little about the house's approach: for Pierre Larmandier, the decisive work lies in the vineyard, while cellar interventions remain minimal.