NV Larmandier-Bernier 'Longitude' Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Extra Brut, Champagne, France (750ml)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: 

The Côte des Blancs lies south of Epernay and is the source for many top cuvée & vintage Champagnes for houses of all sizes. The vineyards are mostly situated on east facing slopes and 95% of the vines are the Chardonnay varietal (hence, the Côte des Blancs name). The soils in the area are typically a thin layer of top soil, beneath which lies the chalk that gives these wines their unique expression of minerality and terroir. Wines from this region are generally praised for their delicacy, freshness, and elegance.

TASTING NOTES:

There's an extra dash of mineral energy and zesty length in this cuvée Longitude, which brings together fruit from Larmandier-Bernier's home village of Vertus with other fruit from the Côte des Blancs, over the true entry level Latitude that tends to make it worth trading up. Subtly creamy and peppery, yet fulsome in white peach, pear and lemon oil, it gains a savoury, umami depth from 40% addition of perpetual reserve. Always a model non-vintage blanc de blancs.

- Decanter, 93 pts. 

The pale straw-colored NV Champagne Longitude takes its name from the fact that the vineyards form a line close to the 4th meridian from the north to the south villages above Vertus. The wine takes on a more direct nature, with mineral-tinged notes of lime blossom, fresh flowers, and wet stone. The palate is medium-bodied, with a chalky texture, a more linear feel and driving acidity, and a lively, peppery mousse with zest. Its oak is very well-balanced and really disappears into the profile, with a long, clean finish. It will do well to age another year. Drink 2025-2040.

- Jeb Dunnuck, 93 pts. 

A considerable increase in intensity and tension compared to Latitude, Larmandier's excellent NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude is crafted from a 2021 vintage base (60%) and combined with a perpetual reserve component. Disgorged in April 2024 with two grams per liter dosage, it is medium-bodied, taut and incisive in personality. Sourced from the villages of Vertus, Oger, Avize, Cramant and Chouilly, it offers aromas of white flowers, citrus fruit and oyster shell. Tangy acidity, informed by the long and cool growing season, with mineral-laden undertones, leads to a chalky, long-lasting finish.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 pts.