Champagne LeClerc Briant Abyss Millisime 2015 Brut Zero - in original giftbox. Abyss is the rare prestige cuvée from the high-listed biodynamic Champagne producer LeClerc Briant (Falstaff: 95/100 points). Jancis Robinson: “Winemaker Hervé Jestin, a Breton who is pretty New Age, claims, ‘we wanted the wines to be in living world’.” What makes Abyss? Abyss takes its name after its mysterious ageing process. The wine is (always) made in equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. After primary fermentation in steel and oak, the wine is aged for 30 months. The bottled wine is sunk to about 60m below sealevel at an island off the coast of Brittany, to be aged on the lees for approximately another 10 months. The slow movement of sea currents of this “marine elevage” enhances the mousse and refines the mineral and saline characteristics of the wine. Each bottle has a unique patina from the ageing process in the ocean. Tasting note A Champagne with depth and a crystalline, vibrant character. Aromas of citrus, candied lemon, pear and mango and nuts. With light floral and spice notes, it is ionic and chalky as well, with an exceptionally soft mousse, tight minerality and saline power that evoke both sea breezes and chalky soil. Both creamy and extraordinarily fresh. This makes Abyss one of the most intriguing and conceptually daring champagnes of modern times. Has never been taken out of the box and was stored in ideal conditions. Drinking window: now - 2040