2016 Champagne Leclerc Briant, Blanc de Meuniers, 1er Cru, Brut Zéro
Critics reviews
The 2016 Brut Zéro Blanc de Meuniers from a plot in Chamery with little topsoil, was fermented and aged in oak. This opens with a floral, smoky, plummy lift. This is followed on the palate by a real dollop of lemony, buttery creaminess. Very fine mousse leads into mouth-watering, salty oyster shell depth while juicy and tart yellow apple make this a complete joy.
Drink 2023 - 2035
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2023)
About this WINE
Champagne Leclerc Briant
Champagne Leclerc Briant focuses on organic and biodynamic viticulture, working in harmony with nature to produce some of the region’s most exciting wines.
Lucien Leclerc founded the estate in 1872 in the village of Cumières. In the mid-20th century, in the hands of Lucien’s great-grandson, Bertrand Leclerc, and his wife, Jacqueline Briant, the operation was moved to the beating heart of Champagne, Epernay. Here it also took a new name – Leclerc Briant. Around the same time, the house started practising biodynamic viticulture (becoming one of the first in the region to do so), eventually earning certification in the 1980s.
Since 2012, Chef du Cave Hervé Jestin, formerly of Champagne Duval-Leroy, has refined the house style here. Working with organic and biodynamic fruit, he also practises biodynamic principles in the winery. Leclerc Briant has taken on new vineyards, renovated its facilities, and has a renewed, uncompromising focus on quality.
The traditional sparkling wine method here is low dosage, vineyard-specific, and extremely interesting. The popular Abyss cuvée is aged underwater. As of the 2012 vintage, Hervé Jestin and the team are responsible for making the wine at Château d’Avize, which they bottle under the Leclerc Briant label and sell through La Place de Bordeaux.
Blanc de Noirs
Blanc de Noirs describes a wine produced entirely from black grapes. In Champagne, Blanc de Noirs cuvée can be made from the two black grapes permitted within the appellation, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Bollinger's prestige cuvée Vieilles Vignes Françaises, from ungrafted, old Pinot Noir vines, has set the yardstick in a style that is now produced by a number of other Champagne houses.
A typical Blanc de Noirs cuvée has a deep golden colour, and can be more intensely flavoured than the classic non-vintage, multi-grape blend.Recommended Producers: Cedric Bouchard, Bollinger
Pinot Meunier
Pinot Meunier is a black grape variety used primarily in the Champagne region of France. It is one of the three primary grape varieties used in Champagne production, alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its exact origins are debatable, but it is believed to have originated in Champagne as a mutation of the Pinot Noir variety.
The name “Meunier” is derived from the French word for “miller,” as the underside of the grape leaves has a powdery, white appearance reminiscent of flour on a miller’s hands. The grapes are small and blue-black in colour, similar in appearance to Pinot Noir grapes.
Pinot Meunier is known for its adaptability and ability to grow well in cooler climates. It buds and ripens earlier than Pinot Noir, making it less susceptible to late spring frost damage. This characteristic is particularly valuable in Champagne, where the climate can be challenging.
The wines tend to be fruity, with flavours of red berries, cherries, and sometimes a hint of spice. They are often softer and more approachable than the more structured Pinot Noir in their youth.
While Pinot Meunier is most closely associated with Champagne, it is also grown in other wine regions, including parts of Germany, United States (mainly California), and New Zealand. In these regions, it is used to produce still and sparkling wines.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Disgorged October 2022. Dosage is 1.8gr/L.
100% Pinot Meunier, from Hervé’s network of Premier Cru organic vineyards including Cumieres. Fermented in steel followed by 10 months in mixed terracotta and used barrique. This is a refined and stunning example of the Champagne’s underdog varietal. The nose is bright, tight with floral character, fruits pulses with yellow plum. Palate is expansive, super chalky, pithy with lime, spcies and hints of camomile. Vinous and very mineral, soft mouse retains tension.
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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