Longitude, Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Wine description for Longitude Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut by Larmandier-Bernier

Colour & appearance

Pale, clear yellow with a fine, persistent mousse that displays a lively, almost dance-like energy in the glass.

Nose

Aromas of fresh pastry and marzipan, accompanied by lemon and grapefruit, crisp pear and apple. Beneath lies a cool, stony note – white stone and oyster shells – evoking the chalky bedrock of the Côte des Blancs.

Palate

Crystalline and transparent, with driving acidity and a silky texture. The bright, citrus fruit carries the wine without weighing it down. Despite its slender stature, it possesses depth and remarkable length – a Blanc de Blancs that unites power and finesse in a rare balance.

Finish

Long and precise, with a mineral aftertaste reminiscent of wet chalk that leaves a saline sensation on the tongue.

Terroir & origin

The grapes come from Premier Cru vineyard sites in Vertus, Oger, Avize and Cramant – all villages situated along the 4th meridian, which gives this wine its name. There, the chalk lies particularly close to the surface beneath only a thin layer of topsoil. It is precisely this rock that shapes the vibrant minerality distinguishing all the house’s Champagnes.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Chardonnay, blended with 40 per cent reserve wine from the estate’s perpetual wooden cask reserve. The dosage is a maximum of 4 grams of sugar per litre – Extra Brut in its most uncompromising expression. Pierre Larmandier has farmed biodynamically since 1999 and relies on spontaneous fermentation as well as large Austrian Stockinger foudres, which lend structure without dominating the wine.

Food recommendations

A Champagne to open a meal: alongside oysters, ceviche or sashimi it reveals its full brilliance. Also an excellent choice with smoked salmon or a fresh goat’s cheese.

Special features

Larmandier-Bernier ranks among the pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in Champagne – since 1999, long before it became fashionable. Longitude is the entry point to the estate’s quality pyramid and at the same time a benchmark for the category: purist, chalky, uncompromising. Even the bottles dispense with capsules – a detail that underscores the house’s resolute philosophy.