The wines of Larmandier-Bernier hold a special place in the heart of Five Way Cellars. Not only does the producer lend its name to our annual cricket match vs Best Cellars (The Larmandier-Bernier Cup – now in its 21st year), but we have been stocking and drinking these wines since the grower-Champagne movement begun gathering momentum some years ago here in Australia. So when we heard that Pierre and Sophie Larmandier were coming to town, we could not wait to get involved in some of their plans.
Those plans took the form of a customer dinner up the road at esteemed Paddington restaurant Saint Peter. We had no problem selling the event out weeks in advance, indicating that our constant preaching about the quality of these wines has not been falling on deaf ears.
The food at Saint Peter is some of the most creative, detailed, and simply delicious seafood you will find in Sydney. It was a great way to show the way in which high quality Champagne can be successfully paired to courses throughout an entire meal, rather than simply being used as an aperitif. We kicked-off proceedings with glasses of ‘Latitude’ all-round before taking our seats and moving through ‘Longitude’ ‘Terre de Vertus’ and then into ‘Vigne du Levant’ and ‘Chemins d’Avize’. Hailing from the already highly regarded 2012 vintage, this final wine was a particular standout for me personally.
To conclude the evening, we were treated with two roses, including the brand new Rose de Maturation 2013. This is a new wine for Pierre and Sophie and the first time it has been shown to the public anywhere in the world.
Throughout the evening, besides the quality of the food and wine, the most enjoyable aspect was listening to Pierre and Sophie talk about their wines so passionately yet so humbly and discuss the way in which they biodynamically farm their vineyards. It really was apparent that high quality wine is not made in the winery but in the vineyard, and that they best way to produce good fruit is to treat your site gently without the use of any herbicides and pesticides.
Pierre and Sophie are a leading light in the world of grower-producer Champagne and their wines are only getting better and better. – Ches Cook, FWC.