Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vielles Vigne de Levant Extra Brut Grand Cru 2014

Larmandier-Bernier has been shaping some of the most sought-after grower Champagnes from its home base in Vertus since 1971, and the family's roots in the Côte des Blancs run generations deeper. The through-line in every bottle is chalk – the Campanian chalk beneath these Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards that lends the wines their bright, saline energy and vibrant minerality. More than 25 years ago, Pierre Larmandier set the estate on a path toward organic and then fully biodynamic farming, well ahead of today's wave of terroir-driven growers. Great soil, patient work in the vineyard, and a hands-off touch in the cellar – that's the whole philosophy, and the results are otherworldly.

This is a single-vintage, single-parcel wine from a single grape, built to capture the truest expression of one hillside – and that inimitable Larmandier-Bernier style. The Chardonnay comes from vines up to 80 years old in Cramant, planted on the east-facing slope that drinks in the day's first light – fruit that's widely considered richer and more powerful than the western side of the hill. The grapes are hand-harvested and gently pressed, then fermented on native yeasts in the cellar's prized Stockinger casks and vats (the Ferrari of fermentation vessels). After a year in barrel and vat, the wine is blended, bottled, and left to rest on its lees for an exceptionally generous 9 years – an aging regimen that builds remarkable depth and texture. A barely-there Extra Brut dosage of 2 grams per liter keeps everything taut, fresh, and unmistakably Larmandier.

"Larmandier-Bernier numbers among the Côte des Blancs' — and Champagne's — finest estates." -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

In the glass, it's lightly golden, with a fine, persistent mousse. Aromas open on crisp apricot, warm brioche, and lemon curd, leading to a palate layered with orange peel, ripe Anjou pear, and toasted hazelnut, brushed with yellow apple, lilac, sea-salt air, and buttery croissant – all closing on that signature chalky snap. It's a study in contrast… tingly and racy on one hand, soft and rounded on the other, with a long, elegant finish. We have only a few cases – please do treat yourself to something magnificently rare today!