Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Grand Cru Les Chemins d'Avize 2016 (Disg. Apr 2024)

$474.00
In stock
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Grand Cru Les Chemins d'Avize 2016 (Disg. Apr 2024)
Producer Champagne Larmandier-Bernier
Region, Country Champagne, France
Bottle Size 750ml
Case Size 6
Product Code 24815-750

Disg. Apr 2024. Les Chemins d’Avize debuted in 2009. For this cuvée, the Larmandier family vinifies fruit from two tiny plots in the heart of Avize (Chemin de Plivot, planted in 1955, and Chemin de Flavigny, planted in 1960). Both are chalky parcels with very little topsoil and lie on the lower slopes of Avize, not far from Agrapart and Selosse’s La Fosse vineyard. “Initially, it was really tough for the vines to grow here, the soil is so hard,” Arthur Larmandier told us. “Now, they make really, really great wines.” 

The winemaking is similar to the other cuvées, save for the use of smaller, neutral barrels due to the smaller quantities of wine produced. The wines age in bottle for a minimum of five years and are then disgorged by hand with only 2 g/L dosage. It’s a stunning, racy example of Avize, a little deeper than Terre de Vertus, though more delicate and less fleshy than this grower’s Vieille Vigne du Levant.

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Grand Cru Les Chemins d'Avize 2016 (Disg. Apr 2024)

Reviews

“The 2016 Blanc de Blancs Les Chemins d'Avize, disgorged in April 2024 with a dosage of two grams per liter, is a particular success. Hailing from Le Chemin de Flavigny and Le Chemin de Plivot, located in a flat part of Avize at the bottom of the slope, these are some of the last plots to be harvested, as the fruit ripens more slowly here. Vinified in 20-hectoliter Stockinger vat and barrels of various sizes, it was matured on its lees for 10 months. Informed by the concentration of 50-year-old vines, lower-than-average yields due to mildew pressure and a late-ripening season, it opens from the glass with aromas of marzipan, baked bread, lemon zest and beeswax. Elegantly muscular and vividly chalky, it’s layered and harmonious, underpinned by bright acidity, leading to a precise, long-lasting finish. A more tense, higher-acid version than 2015, it has more in common with the personality of the 2013 vintage.”
96 points, Kristaps Karklins, The Wine Advocate
“The 2016 Extra Brut Les Chemins d'Avize Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is a very pretty, exotic Champagne. White flowers, mint, chalk, white pepper and crushed rocks are finely sculpted. Low dosage of 2 grams per liter adds notable tension and verve throughout This savory, super-excessive Champagne will be a fine companion at the dinner table.”
94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Reviews

“The 2016 Blanc de Blancs Les Chemins d'Avize, disgorged in April 2024 with a dosage of two grams per liter, is a particular success. Hailing from Le Chemin de Flavigny and Le Chemin de Plivot, located in a flat part of Avize at the bottom of the slope, these are some of the last plots to be harvested, as the fruit ripens more slowly here. Vinified in 20-hectoliter Stockinger vat and barrels of various sizes, it was matured on its lees for 10 months. Informed by the concentration of 50-year-old vines, lower-than-average yields due to mildew pressure and a late-ripening season, it opens from the glass with aromas of marzipan, baked bread, lemon zest and beeswax. Elegantly muscular and vividly chalky, it’s layered and harmonious, underpinned by bright acidity, leading to a precise, long-lasting finish. A more tense, higher-acid version than 2015, it has more in common with the personality of the 2013 vintage.”
96 points, Kristaps Karklins, The Wine Advocate
“The 2016 Extra Brut Les Chemins d'Avize Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is a very pretty, exotic Champagne. White flowers, mint, chalk, white pepper and crushed rocks are finely sculpted. Low dosage of 2 grams per liter adds notable tension and verve throughout This savory, super-excessive Champagne will be a fine companion at the dinner table.”
94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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