Champagne Leclerc Briant
Abyss Millésime 2017

The Abyss Project was specially created from the 2013 harvest by Leclerc Briant, in association with Amphoris, for underwater ageing.

The grapes that make up this Cuvée were harvested from select Champagne villages, renowed for their limestone subsoil, particularly adapted for the underwater ageing. The chosen area is located in the Bay of Stiff, at the eastern tip of the "Ile d'Ouessant" off the coast of Brittany, in France. Each grape variety makes up equal parts this exceotional cuvée: Chardonnay from Bisseuil, Pinot Noir from Avernay-Val-d'Or and Meunier from Vrigny. This Vintage Champagne, made exclusively from the 2017 harvest, was bottled in July 2018, disgorged in July 2021 and submerged in September of that same year. The extremely limited quantity of bottles was brought up from the depths of the ocean in July 2022 (after 11 months).

The Champagne Abyss has an intense yellow colour with golden and silver nuances. The perlage is intense and crowns the top. All in all, the champagne is rich and intense, but extremely fresh. It smells of minerals, iodine and chalky, as well as fruity aromas of peach, apple and rhubarb, not to foget the helbal touch of vervain, camomile and jasmine tea. A second smell recalls lime, licorice, citrus, almond and rose. It is fresh and elegant in your mouth with a creamy and delicate perlage. When tasting, pay attention to the roundness and power of the wine, perfectly balanced by its acidity. The exceptional minerality coming from the local terroir embraces the fruity notes in your mouth.

Champagne Leclerc Briant

The Leclerc domaine was born in 1872 in Cumiéres, created by Lucien Leclerc. In 1955 the family business turned into a Maison and Louis-Bertrand Leclerc linked his name with his wife's one (Jacqueline Briant) and launched the Maison Leclerc Briant, with a new office in Epernay. Their son Pascal has followed his father's steps and experimented biodynamics on their 30 hectares since 1964! In 2010 Leclerc Briant was the largest biodynamic champagne producer and in 1994 it was the first to offer a single-vine Champagne (lieux-dits). Unfortunately Pascal passed away in 2010 and the Maison fell into a dark period, also selling 75% of its own vines heritage, bought by an American couple in 2012. The idea is to help the maison restart, entrusting the remaining 7 hectares and the maison to Frédéric Zeimett, together with Pascal's first daughter: Ségolène Leclerc. Today the domaine has a biodynamic certification and produces more than 200,000 bottles a year. Interesting Champagnes which must be rediscovered.