2015 Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru Champagne – 96 Points

ONE OF CHAMPAGNE'S GREATEST OLD-VINE CHARDONNAYS! 96 POINTS VINOUS!

96 Points Vinous | 95 Points The Wine Advocate | 95 Points The Wine Front

2015 Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs – Champagne, France

RRP $495 per bottle

There are great Champagnes, and then there are wines that redefine just how extraordinary Champagne can be.

The 2015 Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne du Levant belongs firmly in the second category.

This is one of the most remarkable old-vine Chardonnay Champagnes produced by one of France's greatest independent growers.

Grand Cru Cramant.

Extraordinary old vines.

Biodynamic viticulture.

A magnificent east-facing vineyard.

Traditional oak fermentation.

Extended maturation.

And just 2 grams per litre dosage.

This is Champagne of extraordinary richness, complexity and mineral precision.

And the critical recognition is outstanding.

96 POINTS – ANTONIO GALLONI, VINOUS

95 POINTS – THE WINE ADVOCATE

95 POINTS – THE WINE FRONT

For serious Champagne collectors and lovers of the world's greatest Chardonnays, this is a truly compelling wine.

But what makes Vieille Vigne du Levant so extraordinary is the remarkable vineyard from which it comes.

Grand Cru Cramant – One of the World's Greatest Chardonnay Terroirs

Cramant is one of the legendary villages of the Côte des Blancs.

Its Grand Cru vineyards produce some of the most celebrated Blanc de Blancs Champagnes in the world.

The village is renowned for Chardonnay of exceptional elegance, complexity and mineral character.

But not all Cramant vineyards are alike.

Exposure, slope, soil depth and the age of the vines can create remarkable differences between individual sites.

And Vieille Vigne du Levant comes from one of the most fascinating locations in the village.

The east-facing slopes of Bourron du Levant.

Here, the vineyards catch the first rays of the morning sun.

The combination of exposure, mature vines and chalk-rich soils produces Chardonnay with extraordinary ripeness and concentration while retaining the mineral character that makes Cramant so special.

This is one of the reasons Vieille Vigne du Levant possesses such a distinctive personality.

Vieille Vigne du Levant – The Extraordinary Power of Old Vines

The name tells you something important.

Vieille Vigne means old vine.

And these are genuinely old vines.

The principal vineyard, Bourron du Levant, includes Chardonnay planted around 1960.

Additional fruit comes from an exceptionally old parcel in the neighbouring Le Fond du Bâteau terroir, with vines approximately 85 years old.

These vines have spent decades developing deep root systems and adapting to their environment.

Their age, combined with the exceptional terroir, provides the foundation for a Champagne of remarkable concentration and complexity.

But this is not simply about richness.

The chalk soils give the wine beautiful freshness, structure and mineral definition.

The result is a captivating combination.

Power and precision.

Richness and elegance.

Generosity and tension.

This is the extraordinary character of great old-vine Grand Cru Chardonnay.

Larmandier-Bernier – One of Champagne's Most Respected Independent Growers

Larmandier-Bernier is one of the great names in the modern grower Champagne movement.

Based in Vertus, the family estate has established an international reputation for producing Champagnes of exceptional purity, mineral precision and vineyard expression.

Pierre and Sophie Larmandier were pioneers of biodynamic farming in Champagne, embracing these principles in 1999.

Their philosophy places the vineyard at the centre of everything.

Healthy soils.

Naturally balanced vines.

Carefully cultivated fruit.

And thoughtful winemaking that allows each vineyard to express its own character.

Rather than producing Champagnes designed around a uniform house style, the estate celebrates the remarkable differences between its individual terroirs.

And Vieille Vigne du Levant is one of the most compelling demonstrations of that philosophy.

This is a Champagne that could only come from an exceptional vineyard.

The 2015 Vintage – Richness, Concentration and Extraordinary Depth

The 2015 vintage was characterised by warm, dry growing conditions across Champagne.

For the finest growers, the season offered the opportunity to produce wines with ripe fruit, generosity and considerable concentration.

But the challenge was to preserve freshness and balance.

At Vieille Vigne du Levant, the combination of old vines, exceptional chalk terroir and careful vineyard management produced a particularly compelling expression of the vintage.

This is a Champagne with real power.

There is generosity.

There is texture.

And there is remarkable aromatic complexity.

But the wine retains the mineral definition and refreshing acidity essential to great Blanc de Blancs.

The 2015 is an extraordinary expression of the richness of the vintage and the remarkable personality of Grand Cru Cramant.

Candied Apricot, Hazelnut, Ginger and Extraordinary Mineral Complexity

The aromatic complexity of the 2015 Vieille Vigne du Levant is magnificent.

Antonio Galloni's 96-point Vinous review highlights candied apricot, ginger, dried flowers, hazelnut and spice.

The Wine Advocate describes a particularly powerful, generous Champagne with pastry-like complexity, ripe citrus, walnut and pear.

Imagine the richness of ripe stone fruit.

Candied apricot.

Fresh pear.

Lemon zest.

Toasted hazelnuts.

Delicate pastry.

Ginger.

And beautifully integrated savoury spice.

The palate is wonderfully concentrated, with a rich, creamy texture and remarkable depth.

But beneath that generosity lies the extraordinary mineral character of Cramant.

Chalky.

Saline.

Precise.

And exceptionally persistent.

This is a Champagne that combines the generosity of a great mature Chardonnay with the energy and elegance of exceptional Grand Cru terroir.

Traditional Winemaking – Extraordinary Patience and Precision

Larmandier-Bernier approaches winemaking with remarkable sensitivity.

The grapes are gently pressed before the juice undergoes natural fermentation using indigenous yeasts.

Fermentation and maturation take place in oak vessels, including large Stockinger casks and smaller barrels.

Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally.

The wine then spends approximately a year maturing on its lees, developing texture and complexity.

There is no filtration or fining.

After bottling for secondary fermentation, the Champagne undergoes extended maturation in the estate's cellars.

For the 2015 release, this involved at least eight years of ageing on lees in bottle.

That extraordinary patience contributes to the wine's complexity.

Toasted nuts.

Brioche.

Pastry.

Savoury depth.

And a beautifully integrated mousse.

The finished Champagne receives just 2 grams per litre dosage.

This is Extra Brut Champagne, with the natural richness of the old-vine Chardonnay providing balance.

The result is a wine of remarkable power without excessive sweetness.

96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous

95 Points – The Wine Advocate

95 Points – The Wine Front

A Fascinating Comparison with Les Chemins d'Avize

For lovers of great grower Champagne, one of the most exciting opportunities is to compare the estate's finest Grand Cru Chardonnays.

Les Chemins d'Avize comes from the legendary village of Avize.

It is celebrated for its precision, tension and exceptional chalky mineral character.

Vieille Vigne du Levant comes from Grand Cru Cramant.

It offers a more generous, powerful and richly textured expression of Chardonnay.

Both are extraordinary.

Both come from historic vineyards.

And both demonstrate why the greatest Champagnes should be considered alongside the finest white wines in the world.

If you have the opportunity to taste these two wines together, you will experience a fascinating demonstration of the differences between two legendary Chardonnay villages.

A Champagne for Lovers of Great White Burgundy

If you love the extraordinary Chardonnays of Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet or Meursault, Vieille Vigne du Levant deserves your attention.

The wine possesses many of the qualities that make great white Burgundy so compelling.

Old-vine concentration.

Exceptional vineyard pedigree.

Thoughtful oak fermentation.

Beautiful texture.

And remarkable complexity.

But it also possesses the distinctive character of Grand Cru Cramant.

Extraordinary chalky minerality.

Refreshing acidity.

And the elegance of traditional-method Champagne.

This is sparkling wine with the depth, sophistication and individuality of one of the world's great white wines.

Magnificent with Fine Dining

This is a Champagne that absolutely deserves to be enjoyed with exceptional food.

Its richness, depth and mineral structure make it an outstanding partner for lobster, scallops and premium white fish.

It would also be magnificent with roast chicken, particularly when served with mushrooms or a delicate cream sauce.

The producer specifically recommends poultry with morels.

And that makes perfect sense.

The savoury complexity of the mushrooms complements the Champagne's toasted-nut and pastry characters, while its acidity provides freshness and balance.

Other outstanding matches include turbot, veal sweetbreads and aged Comté.

This is not a Champagne to rush. Serve it in a generous white wine glass and allow it time to reveal its extraordinary complexity.

A Serious Champagne for the Cellar

Vieille Vigne du Levant possesses the structure and concentration to reward careful cellaring.

Its old-vine intensity, vibrant acidity and exceptional mineral character provide the foundation for further development.

The Wine Advocate's published drinking window for the reviewed release extends to 2040.

With appropriate storage, this Champagne has the potential to develop additional layers of toasted nuts, pastry, savoury spice and mature Chardonnay complexity.

A magnificent Champagne for an exceptional occasion today, or a very serious addition to the cellar.

Why We Love This Champagne at Liquid Vibe

At Liquid Vibe, we have an enormous appreciation for the extraordinary Champagnes produced by France's greatest independent growers.

And Vieille Vigne du Levant is exactly the kind of wine that demonstrates why these producers deserve so much attention.

First, there is the estate.

Larmandier-Bernier – one of Champagne's most respected growers.

Then there is the terroir.

Grand Cru Cramant – one of the world's greatest Chardonnay villages.

Then there are the vines.

Some more than 80 years old.

Then there is the winemaking.

Biodynamic viticulture, indigenous fermentation, traditional oak maturation, extended lees ageing and just 2 grams per litre dosage.

And finally, there are the extraordinary critic scores.

96 POINTS VINOUS.

95 POINTS THE WINE ADVOCATE.

95 POINTS THE WINE FRONT.

At $495 per bottle, this is undoubtedly a serious Champagne.

But this is also one of the most compelling old-vine Chardonnay Champagnes produced by one of the region's finest independent growers.

If you love extraordinary Chardonnay, Grand Cru Champagne or the world's greatest terroir-driven wines, this is a bottle you absolutely need to experience.

GRAND CRU CRAMANT. OLD-VINE CHARDONNAY. BIODYNAMIC VITICULTURE. EIGHT YEARS ON LEES. 96 POINTS VINOUS.

2015 Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne du Levant is an extraordinary Champagne – and one we are delighted to recommend at Liquid Vibe.

Wine Details

• Producer: Larmandier-Bernier

• Wine: Vieille Vigne du Levant Grand Cru Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs

• Vintage: 2015

• Region: Champagne, France

• Village: Cramant, Côte des Blancs

• Classification: Grand Cru

• Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay

• Vineyards: Bourron du Levant and Le Fond du Bâteau

• Vine Age: Approximately 60 to more than 80 years

• Viticulture: Biodynamic

• Fermentation: Indigenous yeasts, oak barrels and Stockinger casks

• Malolactic Fermentation: Natural

• Maturation: Approximately one year in oak, followed by at least eight years on lees in bottle

• Dosage: 2 g/L

• Style: Extra Brut Vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne

• Disgorgement: March 2025 for the Australian distributor's listed release

• Critic Scores: 96 Points Vinous | 95 Points The Wine Advocate | 95 Points The Wine Front

• RRP: $495 per bottle

• Food Pairing: Lobster, scallops, turbot, roast chicken with morels, veal sweetbreads and aged Comté

• Serving Temperature: Approximately 10–12°C

• Cellaring: Enjoy now or cellar carefully; published drinking guidance extends to 2040