Leclerc Briant: An Evening of Sea-Aged Cuveés

The 2019 Abyss Rosé is the more structured of the two sea-aged cuvées — firmer through the mid-palate, with a frame that holds the fruit in rather than letting it drift. The nose leads with red fruits and a distinct oxidative character, with the kind of salinity that does not read as a winemaking choice so much as its ageing environment. The 2018 Abyss Blanc sits at the other end of the spectrum, being fresher and more linear, with the sea-ageing showing less as flavour and more as a quality of precision. Where the Rosé gives you something to grip, the Blanc asks you to follow it.

Both the rosés stood out to me. The Rosé Extra Brut NV has managed to achieve this fascinating balance of silky, weightless mouthful contrasting the structured texture in the wine, evidently aided by the still red wine blended in. The 2019 Abyss Rosé is akin to eating a piece of the Bengawan Solo butter cake smeared with strawberry jam for breakfast, while simultaneously having soft-boiled eggs with soy sauce. 

Jonathan Tinguad, founder of Vin-Ex Singapore, is the importer who brought Champagne Leclerc Briant to the market. He shared that it was "a Champagne house that was once somewhat forgotten" until the new owners came a clear vision. It was a remarkable story of revival and turning a business around. On the sea-aged cuvées specifically, he noted that beyond the novelty, the wines deliver in quality. That is precisely why they have become some of Vin-Ex's top-selling Leclerc Briant cuveés in Singapore. 

Leclerc Briant occupies an interesting position in Champagne. It is biodynamic in practice, uncompromising in single-plot sourcing, and unapologetically outside the mainstream grande marque style. These wines are not built for immediate approval but instead reward patience, which makes them well-suited to an audience and format like ours.

Besides the sea-aged cuveés, event attendee Philologus Eio (@wildwristwatch) singled out the Les Basses Prières 2017, sharing that "the oaky notes from its barrel ageing and creamy texture elevate it to my favourite of the night".

Philologus also commented, "The small intimate nature of the event felt like a gathering of friends meant the amazing champagne was able to take centre stage without any hint of austerity." It was his first time attending an AWR event, which he called a "great first experience for me". 

What the evening demonstrated is that the sea-ageing conversation, however compelling, is ultimately a distraction from the more interesting question: whether the wine has enough to stand on its own, sea-aged or not. Across the cuveés, Leclerc Briant clearly demonstrates that it does.

This is what The Deep Dive series is designed to produce: a room small enough to matter and a format rigorous enough to be worth remembering.

Thank you to Vin-Ex Singapore for the wines. Event was held at Chez Suzette at Teck Lim Road.