It’s always Champagne season at Le Sommelier!

With Spring around the corner, it’s time to highlight these two iconic Champagne producers and the wines we currently have in consignment stock

 

 

Leclerc Briant is a trailblazing Champagne house producing wines of singular energy and nerve. 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 and formed the négociant firm which still carries their name. Leclerc Briant was an early adopter of organic practices beginning in the 1960’s and was one of the first to bottle single-vineyard Champagnes starting 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 continues the legacy of this visionary house.

In 2012 the winery was purchased by locals Hervé Jestin, who came on as full time, and Frenchman Frédéric Zeimett; along with an American couple who were investing in hospitality and Champagne: Mark Nunelly and Denise Dupré. The couple also own the Royal Champagne hotel, which has been spectacularly remodelled.

 

Champagne Leclerc Briant Brut Réserve NV

This wine, making up 75% of production, is entirely from the 2019 vintage, and is dosed extra brut, with 3.5 g/L dosage, disgorged in July 2022. This blend of 40/40/20 Pinot Noir / Pinot Meunier / Chardonnay was native fermented in stainless and oak (the latter 20%) before going into bottle for 3 years on lees. This newly released wine is right and fresh with lemon, red and green apple, lightly toasted brioche across a vibrantly humming, stony base, with a well used layer of creamy lees to pad. So fresh, and a joy to drink now.

Purchase this wine here.

Appellation : AOC Champagne
Country: France
Grape(s) : Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
Price : $89
Case : 6 bottles

 

 

Champagne Leclerc Briant Rosé Extra Brut NV

The Rosé Extra Brut is labeled NV, but this bottle is from a single harvest (2019), and a blend of 93% Chardonnay (from Chouilly and Montgueux), 7% 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 3.5g/L (this lot was disgorged from April 2022). Very red fruited, with pointed cherry, raspberry across a meringue base, shaped with red currant acidity, finishing with an orange twist. The chardonnay backbone is ever present, but the pinot noir has the signature stamp on this wine.

Purchase this wine here.

Appellation : AOC Champagne
Country: France
Grape(s) : Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Price : $99
Case : 6 bottles

 

 

 

 

Founded in Aÿ in 1584 by Pierre Gosset, Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne. For 17 generations Gosset was owned by the founding family. In 1993, the company was sold to another legendary French wine family, the Cointreau family from Charente, owners of Frappin Cognac. The long history and high quality of the house earned Gosset the French government award of Living Heritage Company in 2013, making it one of only two such Champagne Houses to be recognized in this way.

Across all their wines, their house style is consistently linear, focused and precise. They do not use oak, nor employ malolactic fermentation, ensuring a structure built on purity of fruit, minerality, and long aging. Gosset has pioneered age-dated champagnes, much like whisky producers.

 

 

Champagne Gosset Grande Réserve Brut NV

The Grande Réserve Brut is sourced from Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Villers-Marmery, and blends 45/45/10 Chardonnay / Pinot Noir / Pinot Meunier, with approximately 15% reserve wines. The current bottle in market was based on 2018, and was disgorged in January 2022 with 8 g/L. As is the house style, this was fermented in stainless, with no MLF. Toasty and gently expansive on the palate, the doughy palate of red apple, lemon is held taut with a green apple brace, taking this to a lingering saline finish.

Purchase this wine here.

Appellation : AOC Champagne
Country: France
Grape(s) : Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Price : $85.80
Case : 6 bottles

 

 

 

Champagne Gosset Grand Rosé Brut NV

This Grand Rosé is roughly equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (8% still Pinot) sourced from Avize, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Cuis, Pierry, and Rilly. Reserve wines spanning 6-8 years makes up about 15% of the blend, and this was disgorged with 8 g/L. This pours a deep peach hue, and streams with wild raspberry, strawberry, red apple lit with lemon pith across an expansive palate, shimmering with minerality on the finish. Quite sweet fruited, but with structure, chill and enjoy with bouillabaisse.

Purchase this wine here.

Appellation : AOC Champagne
Country: France
Grape(s) : Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Price : $108
Case : 6 bottles

 

 

 

 

 

Most of our producers are small, independently owned and operated businesses, like ours. You can view our complete portfolio here. Thank you for letting us share these producers and wines with you.

Cheers,

Le Sommelier
416.603.7026
bernard@lesommelier.com

Le Sommelier is a Good Food Fighter.

Please support the businesses and organizations that support Good Food Revolution.