Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Terre de Vertus 2013 [Disgorged October 2019]

Terre de Vertus is one of three single-terroir Chardonnay wines produced at this Estate and certainly the most famous. It is from the chalky 1er Cru vineyard plots of Les Barillers and Les Faucherets, situated mid-slope in Vertus. These sites make arguably the most explicitly mineral wines of the village; wines that can recall the best of Le Mesnil (to the north) in their chalky raciness and drive.

The natural alcoholic fermentation and the malolactic fermentation began spontaneously (without inoculation) in large oval Stockinger and the wines were left on their natural lees for nearly a year (to undergo gentle bâtonnage). There was no fining or filtration prior to bottling and the wine is non-dosé (no sugar is added), in order to respect its purity from beginning to end. The result is one of the most distinctive and mineral wines of the entire Champagne region and today it is one of the touchstone wines of the great grower movement.

"The 2013 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Terre de Vertus unfurls with notes of lemon oil, oyster shell, pastry cream and crisp green apple that gains in definition and purity with time in the glass. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, with a pinpoint mousse, lovely venosity, fine depth at the core and a mouthwateringly saline, chalky and decidedly dry finish. As usual, this is a classy and distinctive bottling from Larmandier-Bernier." 94 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

Country: France
Region: Champagne
Sub Region: Vertus