Larmandier-Bernier 1er Cru Rose de Saignée NV
2018 base (100%), disgorged October 2020. For this cuvée, the grapes—a co-planted blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Gris—were allowed to macerate for several days before the juice was drawn off. This soak provided the colour and much of the body and flavour to the wine. This saignée technique is now rare in Champagne, primarily as it is a demanding method of vinification that requires grapes with an excellent degree of maturity. Hence most rosé in Champagne is made by the addition of a little red wine. Vive la difference!
Cut from the same cloth as previous releases, the 2018 vintage bottling was drawn entirely from what are thought to be the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Vertus (45 years old), and one of its very last 100% Pinot vineyards. As with all Larmandier’s wines it was naturally fermented. Part of this cuvée was raised in a Nomblot concrete egg and part in stainless steel, and more recently Larmandier has been trialling amphora as well.
It’s one of Champagne’s wow wines, repeatedly compared to a Chambolle-Musigny, a Champagne that can stop drinkers in their tracks. This release is so fine and pretty (don’t serve it ice cold!) yet also equally intense with the typical red-fruited, grenadine and rose aromas and flavours, a bright, fine yet chalky personality and a long saline, smoky close. Although it drinks beautifully on its own, it has the depth to go with smoked or grilled salmon. Yes, do that—you won’t regret it! This bottling was disgorged with a discreet dosage of three grams per litre. It is a superb release that will be even better with a year in the cellar. - Importer's Notes
The new rendition of Larmandier-Bernier's NV Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée has turned out very nicely, unwinding in the glass with aromas of orange rind, red berries, pear, white flowers and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, bright and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit, racy acids and delicate phenolic presence, it's still a little tightly wound—especially compared with last year's especially explosively aromatic release—but it should blossom beautifully in time for summer and beyond. 93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate