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. 2018 is the very first vintage of Rosé Abyss, based on wines from the 2018 harvest, blended and bottled in June 2019, disgorged in July 2021 and then off to Brittany in September 2021 where it spends just over 10 months 60 meters under the sea before being retrieved in July 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: 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: Les Riceys
Grape Varieties: 85% Chardonnay & 15% Pinot Noir (vinified as red wine)
Red wine: 15% from Les Riceys
Less Ageing: 2 years
Bottling date: June 2019
Disgorged: July 2021
Submerged: September 2021
Dosage: 0 g/l
Drink: Now to 2032
Tasting Note: The fragrant, evolving Pinot nose comes with savoury bitter cherry, sous bois and bitter almond notes. On the palate the Burgundian tones are further accentuated in the vinous and structured, bone-dry feel of the wine, the iodine-like mineral tones hinting at the months spend submerged in the sea. - Tasted by Essi Avellan 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
91/100
Essi Avellan MW
“The exciting under-the-sea matured Abyss Champagne family is growing, with 2018 seeing the very first vintage of pink Abyss. This is not merely the rosé version of the original Abyss but a wine in its own rights. Composed of a body of Chardonnay and a hefty 15% splash of rich, soulful Les Riceys Pinot Noir red wine, this is truly a gastronomic Champagne in a style of its own. The deep peachy colour comes with copper tones. The fragrant, evolving Pinot nose comes with savoury bitter cherry, sous bois and bitter almond notes. On the palate the Burgundian tones are further accentuated in the vinous and structured, bone-dry feel of the wine, the iodine-like mineral tones hinting at the months spend submerged in the sea. Dosage 0g/l”
95/100
Yohan Castaing
“The 2018 Abyss Rosé, a Champagne aged underwater in the Atlantic Ocean for 12 months, offers up aromas of strawberries, menthol, flowers and rose. Moderately weighted and vinous, delicate and beautifully phenolic, it's tense and precise with an ethereal, long finish enhanced by gastronomic bitterness. No dosage is used in this blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir as a red wine, including 3% vinified as bleeding rosé.”
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.
