1997 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Special Club

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 93 points

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  3/7/2008 - theusualsuspect wrote: 93 Points

  This is a wonderful extra brut champagne, wonderful mousse, rich and mouth filling, but that said, it is not an accident that Vertus is not a grand cru vineyard, and may well today hold a higher rating today than it deserves. The wine lacks the minerality and chardonnay purity of, for example, an Avize based champagne. Instead it carries almost a pencil austerity, with maybe a dried kiwi dry sherry note. His 1996 still wine chardonnay, the only one I've had, reminds me of a Chablis premier cru, and that isn't really a big stretch. The wnemaker, ierre Larmandier, is well regarded for his commitment to champagnes that reflect terroir. Wish he owned vineyards in Avize, Cramant, or in the best sites in Le Mesnil. Then again, the flavors in the champagne are very distinct and somewhat different - terroir - and it just might be that it is an acquired taste that you could learn to appreciate, which I have with his wines. . If you want to really understand terroir in champagne, which I'm working on, I think the non dose and extra brut champagnes will get you there.

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