Champagne Leclerc Briant Brut Rosé NV

Wine Type:
Style of Wine:	Light & Crisp
Country of Origin:	France
Wine Region:	Champagne
Appellation:	Champagne
Grape Varietal:	Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Bottle Format:	750mL
Case Size:	6 bottles
$638.16 Per Case ($106.36/btl)

Tasting Notes

This rising star of biodynamic champagne has roots that go back generations. Lucien Leclerc founded the winery with four hectares of vineyards in Cumières in 1872. The business moved to Épernay in 1955 when Bertrand Leclerc married Jacqueline Briant, founding this négociant firm. Leclerc Briant was an early adopter of organic practices back in the 1960’s, and was one of the first to bottle single-vineyard Champagnes in the 1970’s. In the late 1980’s, Bertrand and Jacqueline’s son, Pascal, began integrating biodynamic principles and part of the production has been Demeter certified since 2003. Today, enologist Hervé Jestin, known for his biodynamics / bioenergetics oversees the wines of the house and its near 30ha of vines, plus another 20ha of organically farmed contract fruit. The Rosé Brut is labeled NV, but this bottle is from a single harvest (2017), and a blend of 95% chardonnay (from Chouilly and Montgueux), 5% pinot noir (from Les Riceys), native fermented in stainless, with a small amount of the pinot noir fermenting in wood. The cepage rests for two years on lees before being disgorged with 4.5g/L (this bottle in December 2019). Light salmon in hue, this is showing beautifully at present, streaming red currants, wild strawberry, cranberry, and brisk astringency, wrapped around a core of red fruit. A kiss of sweet raspberry lingers on the finish. Excellent food wine.

Critical Praise