Wine Advisor
Larmandier Bernier, Longitude 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru is a blend taken from parcels in Vertus, Avize, Cramant and Oger that lie on the same longitudinal axis. Crushed rocks, jasmine, mint, white pepper and lemon peel race out of the glass. This taut, beautifully sculpted yet airy Champagne from Larmandier-Bernier is a winner. This release is based on 2019 and 40% a perpetual reserve that goes back to 2004. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: February, 2022.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru comes across as a bit closed and narrow today. I would give it 6-12 months in bottle to come together. Citrus, dried flowers, mint, spice and marzipan all open in the glass. The Longitude is powerful, but also inward. This release is 60% 2018 and 40% a perpetual reserve that goes back to 2004. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: June, 2021.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru sizzles with tension and energy. Chalk and limestone soils in the villages of Vertus, Cramant and Oger give birth to a Champagne endowed with so much vibrancy. Citrus, yellow flowers, spice and baked apple tart add aromatic nuance, but it is the wine's pure drive and texture that stand out most. This is a fabulous showing. The current release is based on 2016, with 40% wines from a perpetual reserve that dates back to 2004. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: October, 2019.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru dazzles with precision, cut and a sense of translucence that is hard to capture with words. Chalk and limestone soils give the Longitude layers of nuance and detail that are a wonder to discover. In the glass, the Longitude is not especially obvious, rather it is a Champagne of subtlety, precision and total class. Lemon peel, herbs, mint and dried flowers are some of the many notes that grace this utterly exquisite Blanc de Blancs. This release is 60% 2014 and 40% reserve wines. Dosage: 4 gr/L. Disgorged: June, 2018.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Longitude is powerful, resonant and beautifully textured in the glass. This is the Larmandier-Bernier style at its best. Almond, dried flower, lemon confit, chamomile and mint are all laced together in a super-expressive, resonant Champagne that is firing on all cylinders today. Ample and enveloping, the Longitude is a wine of pure and total class. Longitude is 1005 Chardonnay taken from chalk and limestone-rich sites in Vertus, Cramant and Oger that sit at the same longitude. Of these, only Vertus is a 1er Cru village, as Cramant and Oger are both Grand Crus. The current release is 60% 2013 and 40% reserve wines. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 2017.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru is another fabulous wine from Pierre and Sophie Larmandier. Apricot, chamomile, hazelnut and lightly honeyed overtones fill out the wine's ample frame effortlessly. It is fascinating to taste the Latitude and Longitude side by side. The Latitude is brighter and more focused, while the Longitude is all about texture and palate weight. The current release is based on the 2013 vintage, with 40% reserve wines. The Longitude is a blend of fruit from Vertus, Cramant and Oger. Because Vertus is a 1er Cru village, the Longitude is necessarily a 1er Cru Champagne, despite the presence of fruit from Grand Cru parcels in Cramant. Disgorged: January 2017. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Larmandier-Bernier's NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru is a powerful, tightly wound wine that captures the inherent energy of these soils rich in limestone and chalk. The trademark Larmandier-Bernier breadth comes through, but it is also tempered by the wine's tightly wound sense of energy. Citrus, orchard fruit, dried herb and crushed flowers all develop nicely. Above all else, though, the Longitude is a wine of mineral-driven intensity and focus. Ideally, readers should be prepared to cellar this edition for at least another 2-3 years. The Longitude is a gorgeous, striking Champagne, but it is also one of the most reticent wines in this range. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2014.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
An intensely mineral-driven wine, the NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Longitude pulses with energy and tension. Partial aging in cask gives the wine much of its texture and slightly burnished quality to the fruit. Dried pear, spice, menthol and licorice are laced into a vinous, textured finish that speaks to crystalline purity and nuance. As the name suggests, the Longitude emerges from a collection of parcels along the same longitude of chalk and limestone soils, in this case Vertus, Cramant and Oger, fermented in a combination of cask and stainless steel. This release is based on 2012, with the addition of 40% reserve wines. Dosage is 4 grams/liter. Disgorged: November 2014.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A big, ample Champagne, Larmandier-Bernier's NV Longitude wraps around the palate with gorgeous depth and textural richness. Apricot pit, almonds, wild herbs, honey and crushed flowers are some of the notes that meld together on the creamy, expressive finish. The Longitude is made mostly from parcels in the northern sector of Vertus, although 30% of the fruit is sourced from parcels in Cramant, Avize and Oger. This release is based on the 2011 vintage, with 40% reserve wines from 2007. Disgorged September 2013. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Lemon oil, white flowers, almonds, anise, crushed rocks and mint all meld together in the NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Longitude. A beautifully nuanced, soft wine, the Longitude impresses for its balance, softness and generosity. The style is open and beautifully expressive, especially for a young Champagne. This is a wine of extraordinary purity. The Longitude is 60% 2010 plus 40% reserve wines from 2007 and 2008, mostly Vertus juice, with 30% coming from the Grand Crus of Cramant, Avize and Oger. Dosage was 4 grams per liter. This bottle was disgorged on September 2012.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(mostly from Vertus, with some fruit sourced from the grand crus Cramant, Avize and Oger; 4 g/l dosage): Bright straw. Intensely perfumed bouquet displays aromas of green apple, Anjou pear and quinine, plus a strong chalky mineral overtone. Spicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors are complemented by deeper notes of sweet butter, toasty lees and anise, gaining power with air. Impressively focused on the finish, with strong mineral cut and lingering spiciness.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(made from fruit grown in Vertus): Smoky orchard and citrus fruits on the fragrant nose. Smooth, palate-coating pear and melon flavors are lifted and sharpened by a note of Meyer lemon and pick up a toasty, leesy nuance with aeration. A zesty mineral quality adds bite to the finish, which shows excellent clarity and chalky persistence.
Reviewed by: David Schildknecht
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. Expect a tauter, less ample Champagne compared to the last year’s edition.
About the Producer
The LARMANDIER-BERNIER estate is located on the terroirs of the Côte des Blancs, at the very heart of the Champagne vineyards. The estate seeks to make wines which express their terroir, with no tricks, believing that a great Champagne, as with any great wine, starts its life in the vineyard. In order to maintain control over the harvest, grapes are never bought in by the estate. It’s by buying vineyards in the finest crus that LARMANDIER-BERNIER continues to write its future.
