Larmandier-Bernier’s Rosé de Saignée Premier Cru Extra Brut is a grower Champagne from Vertus in the Côte des Blancs, built around an uncommon local history: Pinot Noir in a region better known for Chardonnay. Decanter notes that Vertus is “unusual in the Côte des Blancs for playing host to a historical plantation of Pinot Noir,” and credits Pierre and Sophie Larmandier with shaping it into “a striking, deep-cherry rosé de saignée.”

This is a saignée rosé—made by maceration rather than blending—so it naturally leans darker in color and more vinous in structure. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate specifies a “three-day maceration” and reports that the wine was “derived entirely from the 2020 vintage,” “disgorged in February 2023,” and finished with “two grams per liter of dosage.” The blend is consistently given as 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Gris (Wine Advocate; Vinous). Wine Advocate also notes the vinification: “largely in tank, with roughly one-quarter in large wooden vats.”

Across reviewers, the profile centers on red fruit, spice, and floral lift. Wine Advocate describes “aromas of cranberry and redcurrant, mingled with spices and ripe plum,” while Vinous highlights “cranberry, orange peel, cinnamon and dried flowers.” Jeb Dunnuck focuses on fruit purity—“the purity of framboise… with a zesty freshness”—along with “roses, raspberries, and fresh almond.”

The structure is a key part of the appeal. Wine Advocate calls it “medium- to full-bodied, deep and muscular,” with “a phenolic grip that frames the finish,” while Vinous praises how it “deftly marries… textural richness… with… vibrancy,” finishing with “clean mineral accents.”

The reviews are uniformly strong, with several excellent 93-point ratings from Vinous, Decanter, and Jeb Dunnuck, and a 92 from Wine Advocate for a notably “sunnier, more saturated” rendition. Disgorgement timing varies by release; Vinous cites “Disgorged: March 2024; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.”