The goal at the House of Leclerc Briant is to create and market unique champagnes with an innovative style through a combination of meticulous attention to detail in both the vineyard and the winery, together with the utmost care of, and respect for, Mother Nature and the Terroirs. This is one of those champagnes they declare as non-vintage yet it is all from a single year currently 2014 and 5% of the grape juice was fermented in oak barrel. The wine is settled naturally and is not filtered and is suitable for vegans. The wine is bottled with lower sugar than normal so the bottle fermentation produces a champagne at around 5 bars of pressure rather than the typical 6 bars. This gives a smaller bubble and gently mousse, making it even more ideal to match with food.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Premier Cru | Chardonnay: Bisseuil |Pinot Noir: Avenay-Val-d'Or | Meunier: Vrigny
Grape Varieties: 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier
Ageing: 3 years on the lees
Base Vintage: 2014
Disgorged: December 2018
Dosage: 4 g/l
Drink: Now to 2025

Tasting Note: A straw yellow colour with brilliant flashes of paler yellow. Green apples, lemon and notes of fresh almonds. On the palate blackcurrant, peach, blood orange and fresh grapes accompany aniseed and juniper. Delightly long finish with a creamy mid palate.

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): Undisclosed