Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Latitude Blanc de Blancs NV (Base 20. Disg. Feb 2023)

Disgorged February 2023. Latitude is 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay from vineyards on the southern side of Vertus. These vineyards are on roughly the same latitude, hence the name, which also hints at the breadth of texture the wines from these sites (having more clay in the soil) tend to offer.

In the cellar, Larmandier uses mostly large-format casks (almost all the wood now comes from Stockinger in Austria). Fermentation and malolactic conversion take place naturally, and there is no filtration. Bottles are matured for more than two years, are manually disgorged and dosed at low, extra-brut levels (in this case, 4 g/L) at least six months before release.

Pure and mineral, this offers texture and stone-fruited depth without sacrificing the cut-diamond precision and citrusy, chalky energy that is a given at this address. Extremely versatile at the table, both entry cuvées can work with a wide range of dishes from fish, terrines, any chicken dish (particularly lemon chicken) and most cheeses (except blue or strong washed-rind). This bottling is based on the 2020 vintage, with 40% reserve wine drawn from a ‘perpetual’ reserve started in 2004.