LARMANDIER-BERNIER Longitude

Longitude is a powerful, tightly wound wine that captures the inherent energy of these soils rich in limestone and chalk. All the Chardonnay fruit here comes from the 4th Longitude on a straight line down from Cramant, Avize, Oger to the village of Vertus. This wine is a touch more full bodied than the Latitude, even though it is also 100% Chardonnay. A fascinating example of terroir since it is produced from the same grape and in the same way. There are some more evolved notes yet this remains very elegant and long. Chiselled but with softer edges.

This non-vintage cuvée contains 40% of wines coming from the estate’s perpetual reserve started in 2004. The grapes are gently pressed, and the juices are very lightly settled before being directly placed into barrels. Natural alcoholic fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and malolactic fermentation start spontaneously in the barrels and Stockinger casks. The wines are aged on natural lees for the first year without filtration or fining. Blending and bottling take place in July. The bottles are then stored in the coolness of the cellars, where the second fermentation and aging on the lees take place peacefully for at least two additional years. The dosage is 2 g/l.

A powerful, rich top-class Blanc de Blancs Champagne!

William Kelley, Robert Parker / The Wine Advocate 92/100 points : A considerable increase in intensity and tension compared to Latitude, Larmandier’s excellent NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude is crafted from a 2021 vintage base (60%) and combined with a perpetual reserve component. Disgorged in April 2024 with two grams per liter dosage, it is medium-bodied, taut and incisive in personality. Sourced from the villages of Vertus, Oger, Avize, Cramant and Chouilly, it offers aromas of white flowers, citrus fruit and oyster shell. Tangy acidity, informed by the long and cool growing season, with mineral-laden undertones, leads to a chalky, long-lasting finish.