Cuvée Abyss 2013 is the fruit of a totally unique experiment conducted by Leclerc Briant in association with Amphoris, a company specializing in underwater exploitation.
It was following the discovery in the Baltic Sea of a cargo of champagne that had spent over 170 years underwater that the idea of developing a cuvée specifically dedicated to underwater maturation was born.
The experiment began with the 2012 vintage, and the 2013 vintage is the second edition. Hervé Jestin, the house's cellar master, chose terroirs renowned for their limestone subsoil for this cuvée, in order to forge a link with the marine subsoil of the Baie du Stiff, at the eastern tip of the Ile d'Ouessant.
Chardonnays from Bisseuil, Pinots Noirs from Avenay-Val-d'Or and Pinots Meuniers from Vrigny are blended in equal proportions to create the Abyss Leclerc Briant. The cuvée was disgorged in March 2017 and immersed in June 2017. Abyss was reassembled in June 2018.
Cuvée Abyss from Leclerc Briant has a pale gold color with straw-yellow, silver-tinged highlights. Its bubbles are fine and lively.
The first nose reveals mineral, limestone and iodine notes, with a fruity presence in the background. The second nose reveals notes of lime, licorice, fresh grapes, pomelo, seaweed iodine, almond, blackcurrant and blueberry. Delicate aeration of the glass reveals elegant iodine notes.
On the palate, the attack is fresh, with a creamy, mellow effervescence. Cuvée Abyss is full-bodied, fleshy and fruity, underpinned by lemony acidity. The mid-palate is characterized by a saline minerality. The harmonious finish echoes the chalky, fruity delicacy, leaving a saline imprint on the palate.
This is a cuvée that will resonate beautifully with iodized dishes such as Atlantic oysters, raw salmon or tuna tataki with sesame.
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