Larmandier-Bernier Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant 2013 (750ML)

97 JD / 96+ WA / 95 VM / 18.5 JR

The 2013 Champagne Vieille Vigne Du Levant takes things to the next level at Larmandier-Bernier. I love the aromatics, which flaunt the subtle and pretty of this cold vintage. Pouring a bright yellow color, it reveals detailed floral and candied citrus aromas in its notes of lemon drop candy, honeysuckle, and almond croissant. Medium to full-bodied, this is the most complete wine I have tasted today from this house, with a refined mousse and seamless acidity, and it only sees 2 grams per liter of dosage. This remarkable wine is drinking fantastically now and will have a long life ahead over the next decades. It’s long on the palate and a memorable wine.-Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck

The Larmandier family excelled in this cooler vintage, so it's unsurprising that the 2013 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant has turned out beautifully. Wafting from the glass with notes of crisp yellow orchard fruit, brioche, white flowers, oyster shell and honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, deep, layered and incisive, with a tangy spine of acidity, terrific tension and a long, racy finish.–William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

The 2013 Extra Brut Vieille Vigne de Levant Grand Cru is a Champagne of real breadth and substance that captures the essence of these 50-70-year-old vines. Apricot, chamomile, dried flowers and a kiss of oak are all amplified. Vinous and creamy, the 2013 builds beautifully with time in the glass, showing tremendous character and pedigree. The 2013 was fermented and aged in a combination of neutral barrique and foudre. Its a super-classic Larmandier-Bernier Champagne. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: May, 2022.—Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Smells like lemon posset with a quenelle of caramel. Then something sweetly herbal – angelica, sweet cicely. Lacy mousse and apple honey disguise a steely core. Wild ripe apples and a scarf of smoke. Layer upon layer upon layer of violin-like soaring flavour. Fennel, angelica, apple, kumquat and masses of spice, lime marmalade, lime pickle. Minerality like tiny marbled pebbles. Texture like holding your lips a breath away from the vibrating strings of a violin played by a maestro. Monumental, staggering complexity. It is impossible to capture a wine like this in a snatched, hurried moment during a walk-around tasting. Anything I write is going to be a disservice. (TC) Jancis Robinson