Larmandier-Bernier Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant 2009 (750ML)

95 WA / 94 JS / 93 VM

The 2009 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant is showing very well, wafting from the glass with aromas of lemon oil, orange, English walnuts, drawn butter and dried white flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, vinous and sapid, with a pinpoint mousse, excellent concentration and broad shoulders, underpinned by incisive but ripe acids and concluding with a long, saline finish. As Larmandier-Bernier followers will know, this bottling hails from a parcel of old vines—between 50 and 70 years old—in the lieu-dit Bourron du Levant in Cramant and matures for a year in barrels, large and small, before spending another seven or eight years sur lattes. It's typically the richest, most powerful wine in the cellar. WK – The Wine Advocate

Super floral and sweetly fragrant spices lift this. There’s a ripe peach and grapefruit core with a creamy and smooth texture. The richness of the vintage has sway, but then this is always a bigger terroir and more generous than Avize. Drink now or age. James Suckling

The 2009 Extra Brut Grand Cru Vielle Vigne de Levant is another gorgeous wine from Pierre and Sophie Larmandier. Ample, creamy and voluptuous, the 2009 shows the natural richness of the year along with a range of subtler notes that have developed in bottle over the last handful of years. Dried apricot, chamomile, dried flowers grace this soft, beautifully resonant Champagne. All the elements are impeccably balanced. These 50-70 year-old vines in Cramant confer depth as well as pedigree. The Vigne de Levant is a good choice for readers who enjoy Champagnes that show the subtleties of maturity. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: September 2017. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media