WARIS-LARMANDIER (Avize, Champagne)
Last year, we tasted the Waris-Larmandier wines not once, but twice as we visited the Domaine in October on our trip to Champagne. The wines are extremely impressive, complex, powerful, and finessed. This is a champagne house that is based in Avize and style-wise has a lot of similarities with Selosse as they also barrel age for extended elevages (French for time in the barrel).
Their champagnes have power, complexity, intensity, minerality, a beautiful textural creaminess, allied with a very poised finesse and length. Each of the champagnes we tasted reflected the terroir and had echos of the style of oxidative winemaking that Selosse is so well known for (barrel aging the vin clair/base wines). The complete package. The very limited vintage dated lieux-dits represent the pinnacle of this highly-refined house style. The base wines for these champagnes age for 6-to-18 months before secondary fermentation in bottle, followed by a minimum of five years of lees aging sur latte UNDER CORK!
Larmandier is not the only name connected to this up-and-coming Domaine. In addition to the Larmandier part of the name who are cousins at Guy Larmandier based just down the road in Vertus in the Cote des Blancs, they also count the Gimonnets as cousins. Winemaker son Jean-Philippe Waris cut his teeth under Benoit Lahaye, one of the early pioneers of the grower champagne movement and still one if itâs best vigneron.
The family owns prime, old-vine vineyards of Grand Cru chardonnay in the CĂ´te des Blancs, in the villages of Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. They also farm smaller vineyards of pinots noir and meunier in the Montagne de Reims, the CĂ´te des Bar, and Aube.
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Waris-Larmandier âRacines des Troisâ Brut NV
$54.99 on 3+ US Low
$57.99 reg
CuvĂŠe âRacines de Troisâ represents the âthree rootsâ of Waris-Larmandier: the contribution of the three siblings to the project, and their use of three grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir, and meunier), coming from three regions of Champagne (CĂ´te des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and CĂ´te des Bar).
Villages: Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Bligny, Chamery, Bar-sur-Seine, Avirey-Lingey, Ăguilly-sous-Bois
Grapes: 60% Chardonnay CĂ´te des Blancs Grand Cru / 30% Pinot Noir Montagne de Reims 1er Cru / 10% Pinot Meunier CĂ´te des Bar
Base Vintage: 2017, with 2013-16 solera
Vine Age: Over 40 years old
Aging: 18-24 months on the lees, sur lattes
Disgorgement: May 2022 / February 2023
Dosage: 6g/L
Our tasting notes (8/2023)
We were very impressed with this âentry levelâ champagne from Waris-Larmandier. The Racines de Trois that blends all three of the major champagne grapes from three different areas in Champagne (CĂ´te des Blancs Grand Cru, Montagne de Reims 1er Cru, and CĂ´te des Bar) so you are really getting a true expression of an all-around champagne. Deep straw color, this champagne had notes of stone fruits, baked apple, red fruits, and a slight touch of caramel. A clay-like mineral note weaved between the fruit notes in the nose and on the palate. It had excellent acidity and balanced the dosage very well. It was med/med+ bodied, creamy and elegant, with a pleasing med+ to long finish. An over-performing value.
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Waris-Larmandier 'Particules Crayeusesâ Grand Cru Extra Brut NV
$68.99 on 3+
$72.99 reg US Low
*1.5L Mag: $179.99
Particules Crayeuses is Waris-Larmandierâs flagship Blanc de Blancs cuvĂŠe, sourced from the estateâs biodynamically farmed, old-vine chardonnay plots in the Grand Cru villages of Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the CĂ´te des Blancs.
Site: CĂ´te des Blancs
Grapes: Chardonnay
Base Vintage: 2016
Reserve Wines: 30% 2013-2015
Vine Age: Over 40 years old
Aging: 24-36 months on the lees, sur lattes under cork
Disgorgement: May 2022
Dosage: 4g/L
Our tasting notes (8/2023)
The Particulares Crayeuses is clearly a step up in complexity. This Blanc de Blanc hails from the Cote de Blanc Grand Cru vineyards in Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Our first âwowâ of several from this producer on the day! This is a âseriousâ champagne, layered and full of complexity and intensity - vinous. The chalky soils of these sites really come through in the wine; 4 g/l dosage; powerful and long. Mouthwatering and pleasant acidity. Tones of apples, green apple and golden delcious, and green apple skin, notes of brioche and spice, with there is a measured richness and intensity, coiled and layered. Excellent Blanc de Blancs.
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Waris-Larmandier âLes Regardsâ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature 2015
$159.99 SALE US Low
$196.99 reg
*Subject to availability and allocations
Les Regards dâAvize lieu-dit is a tiny, highly-regarded old chardonnay plot (42.79 ares) in Avize that their grandfather, Jean Waris, managed for many years on behalf of a widow named Gilberte Oudart in Avize. Upon her death, having no children, she gifted the parcel to the Waris family in 1995. A small part of the vineyard is pre-phylloxera, and the remainder was replanted from the same low-yielding, old chardonnay clones in 1963. Les Regards dâAvize is serious and complex, with a distinct minerality, cutting structure, incredibly long finish, and surprisingly, a lot of red fruit notes for a Blancs de Blanc.
Village: Avize
Site: Les Regards dâAvize (42.79 ares) at 100m
Exposure: East/west
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vine Age: Planted in 1963
Aging: Seven years on the lees sur lattes
Disgorgement: June 2024
Dosage: None
Production: â 1500 bottles
Tasting notes (winery)
Champagne Waris-Larmandier Les Regards 2015. Les Regards dâAvize lieu-dit is a tiny, highly-regarded old chardonnay plot (42.79 ares) in Avize that their grandfather, Jean Waris, managed for many years on behalf of a widow named Gilberte Oudart in Avize. Upon her death, having no children, she gifted the parcel to the Waris family in 1995. A small part of the vineyard is pre-phylloxera, and the remainder was replanted from the same low-yielding, old chardonnay clones in 1963. Les Regards dâAvize is serious and complex, with a distinct minerality, cutting structure, incredibly long finish, and surprisingly, a lot of red fruit notes for a Blancs de Blanc.
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Waris-Larmandier âChetillon de Hautâ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature 2015
$159.99 SALE US Low
$196.99 reg
*Subject to availability and allocations
The 2015 vintage saw the release of Waris-Larmandierâs stunning first vintage of their lieu-dit ChĂŠtillon de Haut from just southeast of the Mesnil-sur-Oger village. ChĂŠtillon de Haut is a tiny, highly-regarded old chardonnay plot that was replanted in the top part of the renowned Les ChĂŠtillons from low-yielding, old chardonnay clones in 1955, 1960, and 1990. Only 900 bottles of this glorious blanc de blancs were produced, destined to be a legendary Champagne for those who get their hands on a bottle.
Village: Mesnil-sur-Oger
Site: Chetillon de Haut (18.32 ares) at 126m
Exposure: East/West
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vine Age: Planted in 1955, 1960, and 1990
Aging: Seven years on the lees sur lattes
Disgorgement: June 2024
Dosage: None
Production: â 900 bottles
Tasting notes (Winery)
ChĂŠtillon de Haut is serious and complex, with a distinct minerality, cutting structure, racy acids, and chalky extract, with an incredibly long finish. Medium- to full-bodied, pillowy and textural, itâs layered and hyper-elegant. Our tasting notes for the inaugural 2015 vintage simply say âlights out.â
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