Les Chemins d’Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2016

Wine Description for Les Chemins d’Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2016 by Larmandier-Bernier

Colour & Appearance

Pale golden yellow with fine, persistent mousse – a visual promise of maturity and elegance.

Nose

Enchantingly sensual and at the same time precise: fine pastry with vanilla, yellow apples, pears and greengage plums meld with lemon confit and orange zest. These are joined by subtle spice notes, a hint of ginger and the creamy fullness of crème fraîche. An aroma that holds power and finesse in perfect balance.

Palate

The opening is expansive, silky, almost caressing – before the minerality strikes with full force. Here reveals itself the true greatness of this Grand Cru: ripe lemons and grapefruits, nougat, pear cream, vanilla and cinnamon unite into a complex aromatic spectrum. The acidity is not demanding, but sensually linear. Impressive is the interplay of volume and energy, of density and lightness.

Finish

Long, mineral, with sustained freshness and a fine, almost saline texture that makes the chalky subsoil of Avize palpable.

Terroir & Origin

The Chardonnay comes from the neighbouring Grand Cru parcels Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny in Avize, one of the most prestigious terroirs of the Côte des Blancs. The 50-year-old vines are deeply rooted in the chalky subsoil and lend the wine its characteristic minerality.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Chardonnay, farmed biodynamically. Spontaneous fermentation in Stockinger barrels and vats, no fining or filtration. Minimum five years of ageing on lees sur lattes, hand-disgorged six months before release. Minimal dosage of just 2 g/l – a true Extra Brut of uncompromising purity.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Scallops with butter sauce, pan-fried turbot, langoustines, sweetbreads with morels, poultry in cream sauce or aged Comté.

Special Features

Fourth vineyard site Champagne from Larmandier-Bernier, a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in Champagne. A Blanc de Blancs of extraordinary depth and complexity that places terroir above technique.