Abyss is one of Champagne's most original cuvées. Immersed for 1 year in the seabed off the eastern coast of the Île d'Ouessant, the Abyss cuvée is an adventure.
Maison Leclerc Briant had the idea of immersing a specially developed cuvée following the discovery in the Baltic Sea of a cargo of champagne that had spent over 170 years underwater.
In partnership with Amphoris, a company specializing in underwater operations, the House and its cellar master Hervé Jestin have created a tailor-made cuvée.
For this cuvée, Hervé Jestin chose terroirs renowned for their limestone subsoil, to forge a link with the marine subsoil of the Bay of Stiff, at the eastern tip of the island of Ouessant.
He has selected Chardonnays from the Bisseuil terroir, Pinot Noirs from Avenay-Val-d'Or and Pinot Meuniers from Vrigny. Each grape variety is equally represented.
Cuvée Abyss 2016 was submerged in August 2020, to be brought to the surface in August 2021.
Cuvée Abyss 2016 Leclerc Briant has a luminous golden color with pale yellow highlights.
The nose reveals intense, sunny notes, followed by fruity and spicy aromas. Freshness is also present.
On the palate, this cuvée has a clean attack, then a fruity, lemony mid-palate, with a fine minerality. The finish is deliciously iodized.
Abyss 2016 goes wonderfully well with iodized dishes such as oysters, raw salmon or sesame tuna tataki.
