Larmandier Bernier Champagne Terre De Vertus 1er Cru 2009

Description

This grower should need little introduction to Australian wine buyers.  Few growers have laid bare their terroir quite so transparently as this biodynamic pioneer, challenging tasters to assess Champagne as they would any other great wine. Larmandier’s tireless work in the vineyard, his minimalist approach in the winery, his deep-thinking and non-conformist views – not to mention his super mineral terroir – results in a group of intensely saline, mineral wines.
100% Chardonnay, the current release embodies everything you could hope for in a Larmandier Champagne; they are precise, captivating, intense and immaculately sculpted vins de terroir.
“The Larmandier-Bernier Champagnes are some of the purest and most utterly engaging wines being made in the region today. I can’t recommend them highly enough.” -Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate
“Larmandier-Bernier exemplifies the level of purity and mineral focus that can be drawn out of primarily premier cru terroir with sufficient care and attention. These exceedingly fine wines rightfully rank high amongst the finest of Champagne’s grower producer” –Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide

Terre de Vertus is one of three single terroir wines produced here and certainly the most famous. It is 100% Chardonnay coming from the chalky 1er Cru vineyard plots of Les Barillers and Les Faucherets, situated mid-slope in Vertus. These neighbouring sites make the most explicitly mineral wines of the village, wines that can recall the best wines of Mesnil (to the north) in their raciness and drive. The natural alcoholic fermentation (natural yeast) and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in large oval Stockinger and the wines are left on their natural lees for nearly a year (and undergo gentle bâtonnages, but no filtering or fining). Then the bottles are then taken down into cellars, where the second fermentation and the maturation ‘on laths’ quietly takes place over a period of at least 4 years. Each bottle is disgorged manually 6 months before being shipped. This wine is non dosé (no sugar added), in order to respect its purity from beginning to end.

The 2009 comes from a warmer vintage than 2008 and while it has a somewhat deeper register, Larmandier’s healthy, biodynamically-reared vines, and Vertus’ cool chalky soils, endure there is plenty of freshness bringing exquisite shape, definition and freshness. During our last visit to Vertus, Pierre Larmandier offered us the choice of taking another parcel of the sublime ’08, or moving on to this ’09. It gives you one idea of how good this wine is looking that we had to think long and hard before choosing the former vintage. This, though, is a blinding follow-up.

Drinking beautifully now – a generous dance of cool, earthy fruits, florals, minerals and chalk – it will be even better with a year or two in bottle. Wonderfully appetising and zesty, with great length and drive, this is another stunning success from this outstanding, benchmark grower.

94 points,  Antonio Galloni, vinousmedia.com, Nov 14,  “Rich and explosive to the core, the 2009 Blanc de Blancs Terre de Vertus races across the palate with tons of depth and power. Dried apricots, honey, wild flowers and anise all blossom in the glass, but the 2009 is first and foremost a wine of structure. A creamy, textured finish rounds things out nicely. The combination of a ripe year and the non-dosage style work beautifully.”

96 Points Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide 2012-2013  “Drawing life from the shallow chalk along the road to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, this is a blanc de blancs that expresses more soil than sky, in a palate more about mouth-embracing, intensely textured minerality than fruit. Crystalline freshness of lemon blossom, pure grapefruit, white peach and even lime is set against a background of subtle complexity of fig and mixed spice from oak fermentation. Perfectly balanced without a drop of dosage, its vibrant acidity, ever present chalk minerality and profound persistence confirm this magnificent vintage as one of the Larmandier’s greatest of the modern era, with a tremendous future before it.” 

RRP $156