Larmandier-Bernier

Côte des Blancs

Meet the producer

Since the 19th century, the LARMANDIER family have been cultivating their vines in the premiers and grands crus of the Côte des Blancs. Chalk is the keystone of these great terroirs. In the early 20th century, Larmandier was famous not only for its Champagne but also for its Cramant Nature (still wine).

Since 1988, Pierre dedicates himself to the domain. No more chemicals from 1992, biodynamic and native yeasts since 1999, organic certification in 2003, long élevage on lees in barrels and foudres, are some of Pierre's decisive choices. In 2017, driven by the same conviction, Arthur Larmandier joins his parents on the estate, followed by his brother Georges in 2021.

Sophie Pierre Larmandier_credit-KateShanasy

The Estate’s philosophy

It’s not about imposing methods; Sophie, Pierre, Arthur, and Georges simply want to do good and do things well. They assert their right to be different—to make wines that aren’t cookie-cutter—without seeking to set themselves apart.

The estate seeks wines that express their terroir without artifice, convinced that the creation of a great Champagne—like all great wines—begins in the vineyard. It is the grape that embodies all the qualities and authenticity that no human could ever invent. Larmandier-Bernier is fortunate to work with truly exceptional terroirs; it would be a shame not to “bring them right into your glass.” Thus, the estate has not chosen the easy path of conventional methods, but rather the far more rewarding path of intelligent vineyard management. This decision to trust in nature was made very early on, long before the current wave of environmental awareness. Initially, it was Pierre’s strong desire to produce great wines and Sophie’s lifestyle (respect for the environment and healthy eating) that came together as a natural fit: the couple then committed to this path, which ran counter to the Champagne practices of the time.

Key information

The estate is located in Blancs-Coteaux, Côte des Blancs, Champagne
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
The domain currently cultivates 20 hectares of vineyard.
Bio since the vintage 2003

English technical sheet

French technical sheet

Cuvées

GENERIC WINES

Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée

Pinot noir and pinot grisgrapes are selected on asorting table, partially destemmed and thenmacerated for 2 to 3 days. After that, come thespontaneousalcoholic fermentation (indigenousyeasts) in abig Foudre from Stockinger, themalolactic fermentation and then the maturationon the lees for nearly a year. Thebottlingis carriedout at the end of July.
The wine is aged for at least another 2 years in thecellars, and the bottles are disgorged 6 monthsbefore being marketed with a discreet dosage of2g/L

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Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus

The natural alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeasts) and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in the Stockinger wooden vats and casks. The wines are matured on the natural lees during their first year, with no filtering or fining being carried out.
The bottling takes place at the end of July and there is no blending with other years – this is a vintage Champagne – or with other terroirs – this is a single-parcel cuvée.
The bottles are taken down into the coolness of the cellars. The second fermentation takes place and maturation ‘on laths’ goes on for at least 5 more years. Each bottle is disgorged by hand 12 months before being marketed. This wine is zero dosage (no sugar added) so as to respect throughout its purity.

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Larmandier-Bernier Longitude

The grapes are pressed gently, the juices are clarified very slightly and then go directly into wood. The natural alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeast) and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in Stockinger wooden vats and casks.
The wines are matured on their lees during the first year with no filtering or fining. The blending and the bottling are carried out at the end of July.
The bottles are then taken down into the coolness of the cellars, where the second fermentation and the maturation "on laths" quietly take place during 3 more years. Each bottle is disgorged by hand 6 months before being marketed. The dosage is 2 g/l.

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Larmandier-Bernier Latitude

The grapes are pressed gently, the juices are clarified very slightly and then go directly into wood. The natural alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeasts) and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in the Stockinger wooden vats and casks.
The wines are matured on the lees during their first year, with no filtering or fining being carried out. The blending and the bottling are carried out at the end of July.
The bottles are taken down into the coolness of the cellars, where the second fermentation takes place and maturation “on laths” goes on for at least two more years. Each bottle is disgorged by hand 6 months before being marketed. The dosage is only 2 grams/litre (extra brut!).

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Larmandier-Bernier Les Chemins d’Avize

The grapes are pressed gently, the juices are clarified very slightly and then go directly into wood. The natural alcoholic fermentation (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 being carried out. 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 7 more years.
Each bottle is disgorged by hand 12 months before being marketed. The dosage is only 2 g/L (extra brut).

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Larmandier-Bernier vieille Vigne du Levant

The natural alcoholic fermentation (indigenous yeasts) and the malolactic fermentation begin spontaneously in the Stockinger wooden vats and casks. The wines are matured on the lees during their first year, with no filtering or fining being carried out.
The bottling takes place end of July. There’s no blending with other years – this is a vintage Champagne – and no blending with other terroirs – this is a single-parcel Champagne.
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 9 more years. Each bottle is disgorged by hand 12 months before being marketed. The dosage is very discreet so as to appreciate better this well-balanced and extremely long cuvée (2 g/l).

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