Terre de vertus champagne premier cru 2017 (Champagne Larmandier Bernier)

Cellar for up to 14 years. Serve chilled. Pierre and Sophie Larmandier are the dynamic couple behind Champagne Larmandier-Bernier which is widely recognised as one of the region’s top small producers. The family have some 15 hectares of prime vineyard plots in the Côte des Blancs which have been farmed biodynamically for over 20 years. These include Premier Cru vineyards in Vertus and Grand Cru sites in Cramant, Chouilly, Oger and Avize. The couple are careful to treat their vines with the utmost respect to produce the best quality fruit they can. They harvest all their grapes aby hand and only use wild yeasts for fermentation. This stunning Premier Cru is crafted from a plot of Chardonnay called Les Barillers which has a distinctive terroir which produces a very complex wine with plenty of minerality. In the winery the grapes are gently pressed and the must fermented in barrels with the second fermentation carried out in bottles in their cellars. Here the Champagne is matured for at least five years on the lees before disgorging. No dosage or sugar is added, making this a bone dry Champagne with plenty of purity and precision thanks to the long ageing and top terroir. A great choice to serve as a celebratory aperitif or with canapes, oysters or fish dishes.