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.

Leclerc Briant produce three single vineyard champagnes, collectively named 'Collection Les Authentiques'. Les Basses Prieres is a Blanc de Noirs champagne produced from a single 0.17 hectare plot in the Premier Cru rated village of Hautvillers. Just 1,800 bottles were produced.

Weather: 2014 was characterised by mild temperatures and frequent rainfall and a few weeks of high temperatures, a very solid vintage with good ripeness and acidity. Flowering began in June and summer was a combination of dry, wet and cold spells. Some regions saw some disease and Meunier in the Marne Valley didn’t have a great year and some of the Pinot Noir with its thinner skin made it more difficult for the red grapes. Harvest took place from 8th to 20th September. A year where it was necessary to select the red grapes carefully to maintain high quality. In general Chardonnay is the star of the vintage.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Premier Cru | Pinot Noir: Hautvillers
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Lees Ageing: 3 years
Bottling date: July 2015
Disgorged: August 2018
Dosage: 2 g/l
Production: 1900 bottles
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: On the nose, the first notes are of brioche and honeysuckle with cherry, blackcurrant and plum adding a hint of fruitiness. A nice, clean start on the palate with a soft, creamy effervescence followed by a mounting sensation of fleshy fruit under-pinned with good acidity reminiscent of pomelo and pineapple. The mid-palate is orchestrated around a marked chalky minerality that brings a touch of salinity and finesse on the tongue.