Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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'''Bought directly from Fields Morris & Verdin, Leclerc Briant 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'''
Bottles Available:
2 × 75cl - 20 from 20th Aug We keep some stock in our London Warehouse. Large volumes take 24 hours from our out of London warehouse.
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 seventh release based on wines from the 2018 harvest, blended and bottled in July 2019, disgorged in January 2022 and then off to Brittany that same month where it spent just over 13 months 60 meters under the sea before being retrieved in Summer 2023. 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: The 2018 year started cold particularly February with some snowfall. By April the sunshine emerged leading to flowering at the end of May, some 10 days ahead of the 10 year average. Summer was hot and mostly dry with harvest starting on 20th August and lasted some 4 weeks. The lower night time temperatures during summer helped preserve the grapes natural acidity. In general all grapes performed well, with lots of forward fruit and most champagne will have ok acidity, not racy, not soft. Becoming a new benchmark for the Champagne region in terms of the heat, drought and sunshine levels!
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Premier Cru | Chardonnay: Bisseuil |Pinot Noir: Avenay-Val-d'Or | Meunier: Vrigny
Grape Varieties: 34% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier & 33% Chardonnay
Less Ageing: 3 years
Disgorged: January 2022
Bottling date: July 2019
Submerged: June 2022
Dosage: 1.63 g/l
Production: 5,000 Bottles
Drink: Now to 5 Years
Tasting Note: A subtle touch of red plum and tender smoke carry breeziness on the nose, while the slender palate comes with fine mousse and lovely verve and spright for 2018. This is tightly meshed and beautifully plummy, uniting the best of 2018 fruit and uncommon freshness. That beautiful notion of smoky plum shines on the lasting finish. - Tasted by Anne Krebiehl MW
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
94/100
Yohan Castaing
“Crafted from equal parts Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay and aged underwater during the summer of 2022, the 2018 Abyss reveals aromas of maritime notes, white fruits, spices, smoke and herbs. Medium to full-bodied, tense and ethereal, it's perfectly balanced with a pinpoint mousse and a lovely gastronomic bitterness. Disgorged with one gram per liter dosage.”
92/100
Anne Krebiehl MW
“The 2018 Brut Nature Abyss, made from one-third each of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, was disgorged in Winter 2022 and submerged in the sea off the coast of Brittany for ten months at a depth of 60 meters, the bottle reassuringly encrusted in barnacles. A subtle touch of red plum and tender smoke carry breeziness on the nose, while the slender palate comes with fine mousse and lovely verve and spright for 2018. This is tightly meshed and beautifully plummy, uniting the best of 2018 fruit and uncommon freshness. That beautiful notion of smoky plum shines on the lasting finish. Zero dosage. - Anne Krebiehl MW”
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.
