Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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'''Bought directly from Fields Morris & Verdin, Leclerc Briants UK distributor, this is currently held in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, where it is cellared in ideal conditions and for same day deliveries small quantities are held in our London offices in a top of the range Eurocave'''
There have been five successive generations of Leclerc's, beginning with Lucien Leclerc in 1872 in the village of Cumiéres. In 1955, the house moved to the current premises it still occupies today in Épernay. In 2012, Leclerc Briant was saved from extinction when it was acquired by American couple Mark Nunelly and Denise Dupré, who fell in love with the nonconformist character of the House. They quickly appointed Hervé Jestin as Chief Winemaker and Frédéric Zeimatt as General Manager, two individuals with extensive experience in the industry. Leclerc Briant are renown winemaking pioneers, having been one of the first producers to stop using chemical fertilisers and to experiment with biodynamic vine cultivation back in the 1970s, and being one of the first houses to introduce single vineyards champagnes in the early 1990s. Today the entire vineyard is certified as organic and biodynamic. In addition, all the champagnes released onto the market are certified as vegan. The Maison own 14 hectares and buy grapes from another 15 hectares, both of which are farmed organic or biodynamic.
The first “Abyss” was specially created from the 2012 harvest for underwater ageing by Leclerc Briant, in association with Amphoris, a company specializing in undersea projects. This is now the sixth release based on wines from the 2017 harvest, blended and bottled in July 2018, disgorged in June 2021 and then off to Brittany that same month where it spent just over 13 months 60 meters under the sea before being retrieved in Autumn 2022. The grapes that make up this cuvée were harvested from select Champagne villages, renowned for their specific limestone subsoil; carefully chosen terroirs that are in perfect resonance with the marine sediment located in the Bay of Stiff, at the eastern tip of the “Ile d’Ouessant” off the coast of France in Brittany.
Cuvée Abyss is a champagne with a resolutely maritime character which has benefited from being matured at the bottom of the sea. To taste it is to discover and appreciate the same mineral qualities that one finds in the chalky and sandy soils of the Champagne terroir where it had its origins.
Weather in 2017: The year was marked by spring frosts in April, followed by very hot weather at the end of May and June. The month of August was not very sunny, with rain throughout the month, followed by warmth and good weather at the end of August for the harvest. With damp conditions the Pinot Noir & Meunier grapes were at huge risk and only small batches of Pinot Noir were picked and free from rot. Although 2017 won’t be widely declared, some individual successes will exist, several iconic prestige cuvée Blanc de Blancs were made, including Taittinger Comtes de Champagne and Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. In addition Dom Perignon 2017 exists, with a significantly higher percentage of chardonnay in the blend as there was limited Pinot Noir.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Premier Cru | Chardonnay: Bisseuil |Pinot Noir: Avenay-Val-d'Or | Meunier: Vrigny
Grape Varieties: 34% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir & 33% Meunier
Less Ageing: 3 years
Disgorged: June 2021
Bottling date: July 2018
Submerged: June 2021
Dosage: 0 g/l
Production: 5,000 Bottles
Drink: Now to 5 Years
Tasting Note: Beautifully soft, ripe fruity nose with red and yellow fruits intermingling. The bone-dry palate is super fresh yet textured, with the plushness meeting energising nervosity. Impressively creamy mousse. Outstanding effort for the notorious 2017 vintage. - Tasted by Essi Avellan MW
Watch Nick's video tasting review of this champagne here.
There have been five successive generations of Leclercs, beginning with Lucien Leclerc in 1872 in the village of Cumiéres. In 1955, the house moved to the current premises it still occupies today in Épernay. During this time, thanks to the dynamism of Bertrand Leclerc (the great grandson of the founder) and his wife Jacqueline Briant, the estate-based business changed its status to a Maison de Négoce, or trading house.
In 2012, Leclerc Briant was saved from extinction when it was acquired by American couple Mark Nunelly and Denise Dupré, who fell in love with the nonconformist character of the House. They quickly appointed Hervé Jestin as Chief Winemaker and Frédéric Zeimatt as General Manager, two individuals with extensive experience in the industry.
Leclerc Briant are renown winemaking pioneers, having been one of the first producers to stop using chemical fertilisers and to experiment with biodynamic vine cultivation back in the 1970s, and being one of the first houses to introduce single vineyards champagnes in the early 1990s. Today, their commitment to biodynamics has been taken a step further by Hervé Jestin, whose bioenergetic winemaking approach is truly unique. Utilising such techniques as underwater champagne storage and gold-lined barrels, Leclerc Briant produce wines with a high level of positive energy.
In recent years, under the influence of the new owners, the premises have been extensively refurbished and improved so as to provide all the facilities needed to create wines of the utmost quality; elegant new reception areas have been added as well. A profound respect for Nature and for the terroirs have always been of overriding importance at Leclerc Briant and now the entire vineyard is certified as organic and biodynamic. In addition, all the champagnes released onto the market are certified as vegan. Today they own 14 hectares and buy grapes from another 15 hectares and both are farmed organic or biodynamic.
Cellar Master: Hervé Jestin
Winery Location: Épernay | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Côte des Blancs
Annual Production (bottles): 200,000
Chef de Cave History at Champagne Leclerc Briant:
Hervé Jestin 2012 - Current | Before joining Leclerc Briant, Jestin spent 24 years as the Chef de Cave at Duval-Leroy and established a reputation as a global consultant, working in Russia, England (including Hambledon Vineyard), Italy, and Spain. Jestin focuses on creating wines with high "positive energy," emphasizing a connection to nature, the use of gold-lined barrels, and, most notably, the seabed aging of the Abyss cuvée in his native Brittany. He employs techniques like using terracotta eggs, slow fermentation with wild yeasts, and, since 2012, managing the transition of Leclerc Briant to fully organic/biodynamic certification.
Expert Reviews
92/100
Essi Avellan MW
“From the depths of the sea, invigorated by nature’s energy with a bottle decorated by mother nature herself, Leclerc Briant Abyss is something truly unique. The house’s Abyss project, which commenced with the 2012 vintage, sees bottles submerged in the sea near Brittany to a 60-meter depth for nearly a year to enhance the bioenergy. The 2017 was disgorged in July 2021, sunk in the sea and taken back to the surface 10 months later. Beautifully soft, ripe fruity nose with red and yellow fruits intermingling. The bone-dry palate is super fresh yet textured, with the plushness meeting energising nervosity. Impressively creamy mousse. Outstanding effort for the notorious 2017 vintage. Disgorged 7/21; dosage 0g/l”
We recently visited Leclerc Briant with Jancis Robinson MW. General manager Frédéric Zeimett and winemaker Hervé Jestin discussed the winemaking innovations happening at Leclerc Briant and we tasted a range of champagnes, including Hervé's personal project.
Leclerc Briant winemaker Hervé Jestin is paving the way in bioenergetic winemaking. Utilising techniques such as underwater ageing and vinification in gold-lined barrels, Jestin produces wines with a high level of positive energy. We visited the house in Épernay to find out more.
