CHAMPAGNE LECLERC BRIANT

CHAMPAGNE LECLERC BRIANT The family estate was founded in 1872 by Lucien Leclerc and is now managed by Frédéric Zeimett. The House cultivates 9 hectares of vineyards situated, for the most part, in the Premier Cru villages of Cumières, Hautvillers, Rilly la Montagne, Mareuil sur Aÿ, Bisseuil. In order to offer quality wines while respecting the environment, the vineyard is managed thanks to bio-dynamic agriculture thus emphasizing vines as living organisms (Ecocert and Demeter certifications). Wines can then reveal their singularity and their quality is recognized by many guides and foremost opinion leaders.

Champagne LECLERC BRIANT

Some Words of History

In 1872, Lucien Leclerc founded Domaine Leclerc in the village of Cumières. In 1955, Bertrand Leclerc and his wife Jacqueline Briant changed the company status to that of a true Champagne House and moved to Epernay. Given his commitment to make quality wines and respecting the environment, it was natural that Bertrand Leclerc should opt for organic agriculture from 1960s. His son, Pascal, would take up the baton with the same deep convictions, starting bio-dynamic agriculture at the end of the 1980s. The entire Estate is officially certified as organic since 2004 and as bio-dynamic since 2008. Following Pascal’s passing, an American couple, Mark and Denise, lovers of gastronomy and French Art de Vivre, took over the House and entrusted a native of Champagne, Frédéric Zeimett, with the management of the company.

Two Values In The Heart Of The House: Respect & Singularity

The respect translates to care given to the vineyards, and then in the cellars; as well as the consideration given to customers. This respect naturally leads Leclerc Briant to prefer a biodynamic approach.The singularity is revealed through the products. Creative, modern and renowned for its savoir-faire, the House first relies on its wines to promote this cardinal value. For instance, the House was a pioneer in the elaboration of single vineyards cuvées.

Everything Starts With The Grapes

Today, the House cultivates 9 hectares of vineyards situated, for the most part, in the Premier Cru villages of Hautvillers, Rilly la Montagne, Mareuil sur Aÿ, Bisseuil. Spread out as they are accross La Montagne de Reims and La Vallée de la Marne, they are planted with the three emblematic grape varieties of Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.Leclerc Briant also supplements its grape supplies with occasional purchases from a handful of loyal growers who are passionate about their work and committed to the family spirit of the House : 15 hectares worth of additional grapes, certified as organic or as bio-dynamic.

The Wines

Complex and elegant, the Champagnes truly represent Leclerc Briant ‘savoir-faire’. The House uses a soft and natural style of winemaking 
in harmony with the rhythms of life and without interfering with the wines in any way. The wines are left to age in the deep cellars for at least 30 months before being disgorged. Dosage is kept to a minimum so the wines reveal themselves without the slightest artifice. Wines are then characterized by their singularity and fully reflect the values of the House and its ‘bio-chic’ identity. The prestige cuvée, Divine Solera, has definitely earned its name as a powerful and refined Champagne that still evolves very well in the bottle. Respect for the terroir crystallizes in the ‘Single Vineyard’ range as those Champagnes are the quintessence of a unique plot. Les Crayères expresses fine mineral notes, La Croisette can be identified by its roundness and floral notes and Les Chèvres Pierreuses offers to palate an intense array of different fruit and nut flavours. Finally, in the ‘Classics’ range, the Brut is an immediately likeable Champagne, a wonderful combination of luscious fruitiness and appealing freshness.