The 1er Cru vineyard of Vertus is famous for Pinot Noir in addition to the Chardonnay you'd expect here along the Cote de Blancs. Guy Larmandier blends 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir and ages the wine for 36 months before disgorgement. The result is a sleek beauty of a wine that opens with rich aromas of toast, nuts, mineral and lemon. In the mouth plenty of Chardonnay cut and drive elevated with hints of earthy red fruit and richness from the Pinot Noir. Clean, toasty, precise, and extremely long with a finish that won't quit.

From Chardonnay vines in the Grand Cru village of Cramant. The total absence of any sense of sweetness in this Brut Zéro allows the limestone to take center stage, and it presents in a more piercing and saline manner than in Larmandier’s Brut wines. Despite its relative rigorousness and austerity, however, this is by no means a difficult wine. Rather, it will appeal to those who relish the sort of palpable, intense mineral character Champagne is capable of when made in such a straightforward fashion. Aged 3 years sur lattes.