Larmandier-Bernier Les Chemins Champagne Grand Cru 'Avize'

This wine comes from two very small individual plots in the heart of Avize: Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny. Around 50-year-old vines grow in very sparse chalky soil, cultivated biodynamically. Spontaneous fermentation, malolactic fermentation, and aging all occur in Stockinger Fuder barrels, with a full year in barrel on the lees before bottle fermentation. Then follows over 5 years of bottle aging before manual disgorgement. There are no hard edges or corners here; everything is finely woven together like a veil of yellow-fruit, citric, chalky nuances. Notes of mealy bread crust, salty macadamia nut, green walnut, lemongrass, and candied lime zest are underpinned by a bright mineral stoniness that almost recalls the flintiness of Pouilly-Fumé. On the palate, the wine is a structural marvel. It displays intensity and power while maintaining finesse and mineral brilliance, as only Avize can do.