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    213 Champagne 1er Cru AC Non-Dosé Terre de Vertus
    Larmandier-Bernier

    Grape:100% Chardonnay BdeB (12.5% alc.)

    Mid-slope, older vines on the best hillside of Vertus, are the source of this exquisite champagne. Made from the 2007 vintage, after a seven month elevage sur lies fines (50% in recent foudres, a few barrels and the rest in cuve), it was bottled in April 2008 and disgorged in May 2010, at which point no dosage was added. Floral and racy, with notable energy, it is a superb expression of Vertus’ terroir. For drinking now to 2012.

    Technical Information
    Winemaker: Pierre Larmandier 
    Location: Vertus 
    Size of
    domaine:    		 15 hectares (of which 2½ for Terre de Vertus) 
    Grape: 100% Chardonnay, massale selection. 35 years old on average. 
    Terroir: Comes from the vineyard plots of Les Barillers and les Faucherets, situated mid-slope (south-east) in Vertus. Tertiary sands and clays overlying soft cretaceous chalks. 
    Viticulture: Certified organic, has practiced bio-dynamic viticulture but refuses certification as he doesn’t agree with Demeter allowing cultured yeasts to be used during winemaking. Plough to aerate the soil and force vine roots deep in search of minerals and nutrients. Mechanically weeds around the foot of each vine. Has raised the vine leaf canopy from 1.20 to 1.35 metres to obtain extra photosynthesis to produce higher natural sugar levels in the grapes. Mixes nettle infusion with Bordeaux mix to reduce copper levels when spraying against mildew. Hand-harvest. Search for optimum maturity. 60 hectos per hectare yield. 
    Vinification: Press very gently using a pneumatic press. Only uses natural indigenous yeasts. Vinification 50% in 5 year old foudres and 50% in stainless steel cuves. Wine of a single vintage only (no reserve wine). The wine is left on the lees during the winter and the malolactic is carried out spontaneously. The wine is filtered lightly before bottling in May. Then it is kept sur latte under cap in a deep underground cave for a minimum of 18 months. All the bottles are disgorged manually with zero dosage. Best drunk minimum 6 months post disgorging according to Pierre. 
    Press:  

     

    qty (bottles) exc vat: £28.75