Larmandier Bernier 'Longitude' Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV (Base '19, Disg. Dec 2021)

2019 base, disgorged December 2021. Like the Latitude, this is 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay (the vineyards are in Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Vertus), yet the vineyards from which it was drawn have thinner topsoils and so the vine roots plunge straight into the chalky bedrock. The name here refers to the vertical nature of the geographic locations of the vineyards as well as the style of wine resulting from the very chalky soils of these sites i.e., a more linear, mineral wine. While Larmandier’s Latitude is expansive across the palate, the Longitude is all about minerality, line and raciness.

William Kelley has called this wine “one of the finest non-vintage bottlings to be found in Champagne” and, while there are no reviews available for the 2019 base, the high ratio of reserve wines (40%) and the strength of this low-yielding vintage should leave you with little doubt as the quality on offer.

Delivering aromas of citrus pith, pastry cream, crisp orchard fruit and freshly baked bread, the latest rendition of Larmandier-Bernier's NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Longitude is medium to full-bodied, chalky and incisive, with a rich core of fruit, racy acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, saline finish, it's more chiseled than its Latitude counterpart and represents an appreciable step up. It's based on the 2019 vintage and was disgorged early this year. 93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate