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 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. The wine is settled naturally and is not filtered and is suitable for vegans. The juice is fermented in small oak barrels and doesn't receive dosage or sulphites. 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.

Weather: 2013 will always be compared to the great 2012 vintage, however a cool spring lead to some uneven ripening, the summer was unpredictable with hot spells but also some hail causing damage to some grapes. Overall the latter summer months were good.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Chardonnay: Côte des Blancs
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees ageing: 5 Years
Vintage: 2013
Disgorged: May 2019
Bottling date: July 2014
Dosage: 0 g/l
Drink: Now for 3-4 years

Tasting Note: A pale gold green topaz color. On the nose, notes of buttercream, meringue and milk caramel. Aeration reveals more mineral and fruity notes. The Champagne aged in oak barrels is in perfect harmony with a fruity intensity while maintaining a salty and lemony vibration.