Larmandier-Bernier Les Chemins d'Avize Grand Cru 2013
- Region
- France » Champagne » Champagne AOC » Côte des Blancs » Avize
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, extra brut
- Producer
- Vintage
- 2013
- Disgorged
- N/A
- On lees
- >60 months
- Grapes
- Chardonnay
- Alcohol
- 12.5
- Sugar
- 2
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
The grapes are pressed gently, the juices are clarified very slightly and then go directly into wood. The alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in the Stockinger casks and vats. The wines are matured on the lees during their first year, with no filtering or fining.
The bottles are taken down into the coolness of the cellars and stacked on lattes, the second fermentation takes place, and the maturation continues slowly for at least 5 more years. Each bottle is disgorged by hand 6 months before being marketed. The dosage is only 2 g/l (extra brut).
Ratings
What a great bottle in a beautiful shape. Expressive, sophisticated and nuanced. A showcase of oak influence. Buttered croissant, Jerez, chalk, citrus, walnuts and mushrooms. Vinous, delicious and persistent. This wine turned me into the monk that carried the woman long after setting her down on the other side of the river.
About Producer
Larmandier-Bernier is one of those domaines that doesn't scream for attention - but if you pay attention, it's hard to look away. Pierre Larmandier took over the family estate in 1988 and has quietly built one of the most respected grower operations in Champagne, especially in the Côte des Blancs. His path wasn't loud or trendy - just persistent, thoughtful, and increasingly precise.
The estate itself has roots going back to the French Revolution, though it formally came together in 1971 through the marriage of Philippe Larmandier and Elisabeth Bernier. Today, it's Pierre and Sophie Larmandier, along with their son Arthur, who run the show - working nearly 18 hectares spread across some of the most iconic chalk soils in Champagne: Cramant, Chouilly, Oger, Avize (all Grand Cru), and Vertus (Premier Cru). Chardonnay dominates, as expected, but there are also small parcels of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
By 1999, the estate had fully converted to biodynamic farming. Yields are kept low, and many of the vines are now approaching or well past 50 years of age. Nothing here is rushed, nothing feels accidental.
In the cellar, the approach is about letting the vineyards speak. Each cru is vinified separately, with native yeasts and minimal intervention. Fermentation happens in large foudres and Burgundian barrels, depending on the parcel and year. Malolactic fermentation is not feared; blending decisions are made calmly in the summer following harvest. And dosage - when it appears at all - is minimal and always earned in the vineyard.
The lineup is tight and expressive: Latitude, Longitude, Terre de Vertus, Les Chemins d'Avize, Vieille Vigne du Levant, and the Rosé de Saignée. The wines are brisk and mineral, yet never hollow. They carry texture, but not weight. They age beautifully but are never closed off.