First Taste: Champagne Leclerc Briant Abyss Rosé 2018 and Le Clos des Trois Clochers 2016

Frédéric Zeimett, CEO of Leclerc Briant, and Hervé Jestin, cellar master, have made strenuous efforts to revitalise this boutique Champagne house, founded in 1872 and purchased in 2012 by an American couple, Denise Dupré and Mark Nunnelly.

Zeimett, a former supply director at Moët & Chandon, has a clear vision of the future of the house (he launched a new cuvée from a single vineyard, Château d’Avize, earlier this year). Jestin, former cellar master at Champagne Duval-Leroy, is probably one of the best winemakers in the region and the biggest biodynamics enthusiast in Champagne.

Scroll down for notes on the latest Leclerc Briant Champagnes: Abyss Rosé 2018 and Le Clos des Trois Clochers 2016

Subaquatic

Together they have developed a cuvée called Abyss. The concept is to submerge Leclerc Briant Champagnes in the ocean, off the island of Ushant in Brittany, ‘to capture a universe where land and sea spirits come together’, says Zeimett.

This year sees Leclerc Briant release the first rosé iteration of cuvée Abyss. It is a blend of 85% Chardonnay, and 15% Pinot Noir elaborated as a red wine. Bottles were submerged in the sea in September 2021 for 10 months after being disgorged in July 2021 without dosage.

The 2018 vintage is considered a success according to Champagne’s trade association body, the Comité Champagne. The summer was scorching hot and dry, breaking the record set in 2003. Fortunately, the vines suffered no water stress. Harvest took place in ideal conditions and the year was generous, with high alcohol levels.

I don’t know if submersion is a benefit to the wine, but I have to admit that this wine has much tension, iodine and saltiness when compared to all the other wines I tasted from the 2018 vintage (either bottles not yet disgorged or vins clairs).

Single vineyard focus

Alongside the first opus of Abyss rosé, Leclerc Briant has released a new vintage of the single-parcel cuvée Le Clos des Trois Clochers. This is a tiny vineyard of only 0.4ha, planted with Chardonnay and situated in Villers-Allerand, a premier cru village in the heart of the Montagne de Reims. The calcareous soil imposes a mineral-driven, pure and tense style.

The 2016 vintage was difficult for winegrowers. With floods and hot weather, downy mildew was everywhere. The rain stopped early in July and gave way to a sunny, dry summer, allowing the harvest to take place in good conditions. Like many vintages in Champagne, it was saved by great weather at the end of the season.

Leclerc Briant’s Abyss Rosé 2018 retails for £300 in the UK and is available through The Finest Bubble. Le Clos des Trois Clochers 2016 retails for around £150 and is available through a number of retailers. See the tasting notes below for stockist information.

Yohan Castaing rates and reviews the latest Leclerc Briant Champagnes:

Related content

Leclerc Briant: the biodynamic house every Champagne lover should know

Underwater wine ageing: Why are wineries doing it?

First taste: Dom Ruinart 2010