Larmandier-Bernier Chemin d'Avize Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2009

Taut and precise, with lime peel, white blossom and powdered chalk setting the tone immediately. Fruit drawn from the Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny parcels delivers a stony, focused energy that never lets up — there's a wire-tight tension running from the first sip through to the long, bright finish. A debut bottling, and a confident one: site-specific, uncompromising, and worth cellaring another few years to watch it fully unfurl.