# Terre de Vertus Premier Cru Non Dosé (2017)

- **Producer:** Champagne Larmandier-Bernier
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €95
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blossom, lemon, grapefruit, apple, pear, brioche, bread, butter, cream, toast, almond, honey, mushroom

## About this wine

Pierre and Sophie Larmandier are iconic grower-producers in Champagne who abandoned chemical farming in the 1990s to champion biodynamic viticulture. As founding members of the elite 'Trait-d-Union' association, they craft terroir-driven Champagnes. 'Terre de Vertus' is their signature single-terroir, single-vintage Blanc de Blancs, representing Chardonnay in its purest, most transparent state from the chalky soils of the Vertus Premier Cru.

## Interesting facts

- Terre de Vertus is a single-terroir, single-vintage Blanc de Blancs made with zero dosage since its debut in 1995.
- Larmandier-Bernier has been farming biodynamically for over 20 years, long before it became fashionable in Champagne.
- The 2017 vintage saw extremely low yields due to a severe spring frost, resulting in naturally concentrated grapes.

## Food pairing

The high acidity and intense chalky salinity of this zero-dosage Champagne act as a perfect foil for rich, textured seafood like scallops and lobster, while mirroring the briny freshness of raw oysters. Its subtle autolytic complexity and oak integration also allow it to pair beautifully with earthy elements like truffles and light, aromatic spices without being overwhelmed.

## Wine making process

Grapes are hand-harvested at optimal maturity and gently pressed. Spontaneous fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts in neutral Austrian oak casks and large wooden foudres. Malolactic conversion happens naturally. The wine ages on its lees with light bâtonnage for 11-12 months before bottling without fining or filtration. It then undergoes secondary fermentation and ages sur lie in chalk cellars for over five years, disgorged with zero dosage.