2015 Larmandier-Bernier Grand Cru Les Chemins d'Avize

Les Chemins d’Avize is a striking snapshot of Grand Cru Chardonnay grown on the chalky spine of the Côte des Blancs where finesse meets power. It’s sourced from two tiny plots in the heart of Avize - Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny - planted in the 1950s and early ‘60s. These parcels are classic Avize: lean soils, pure chalk, and very old vines that dig deep.

This 2015 release is an uncompromising, low-dosage Blanc de Blancs (2g/L), aged six years on lees and disgorged in September 2022. On the nose, it’s lemon pith and white flowers, with a whiff of honeycomb and chalk dust. The palate is focused and linear, but far from austere—there’s a gentle vinous weight, a mineral drive, and a coiled energy that unfurls slowly in the glass.

If you want to understand Avize terroir through the lens of biodynamics and thoughtful élevage, this is essential drinking. It’s cerebral, precise, and quietly powerful Champagne from one of the region’s leading artisans.

95 points
“The 2015 Extra Brut Les Chemins d’Avize Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is a broad, ample Champagne that reflects both vinification in wood and time on the lees. Lemon confit, marzipan, dried flowers, chamomile, sage and spice build in the glass. Powerful and resonant, with no hard edges, the 2015 is terrific. It’s also a throwback to the style of the time, and one I must say I like a lot. This is a fine effort for the year.”
- Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

94+ points
“The 2015 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Les Chemins d’Avize opens in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, verbena, fresh pasty, vanilla pod and fresh herbs. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and chalky, with a vinous, rather concentrated profile and bright acids, it’s a little compact out of the gates but appears to be built to age with grace.”
- William Kelley (The Wine Advocate)