Leclerc Briant

Leclerc Briant may well be the most dynamic, innovative house in Champagne today. The approach is unusual: a combination of biodynamic methods and mystic philosophy. The results are brilliant: “massive life, complexity and tension” in the glass, as Jancis Robinson puts it. She calls Leclerc Briant “possibly the single most exciting visit” of her trip to Champagne in 2019.

Chef de Cave at Leclerc Briant is Herve Jestin. He is an authority on bioenergetics, the study of energy flows. He follows biodynamic principles in both vineyard and winery, using only grapes grown biodynamically or organically. This gives lower pH than is standard in Champagne, imparting the all-important freshness that is becoming ever harder to achieve in the era of climate change.

Jestin consults the lunar calendar throughout the production process with the aim of “harnessing cosmic energy”. He ferments and ages the wines in vessels made from some unusual materials: glass, terracotta and even gold. The base wines then undergo long lees ageing without racking, which is rare in Champagne.

The wines are made with very little sulphur dioxide and low dosage. They are bottled at lower pressure than the majority of Champagnes, giving gentler effervescence to showcase the complexity of the wines.

The most unusual of the wines here is Cuvee Abyss. The bottles are kept submerged under the sea off the coast of Brittany at a depth of 60 metres, where the pressure outside is equal to that within, for just over a year. Exposing the bottles to constant tidal movement apparently gives energy and harmony in the liquid inside. The bottles come up barnacle-encrusted.

The house makes several single vineyard wines, including Clos des Trois Clochers, as well as non-vintage and vintage wines.