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Leclerc Briant was an early adopter of organic practices beginning in the 1960’s and pioneered the concept of single-vineyard Champagne beginning in the 1970’s. Fifth generation vigneron, Pascal Leclerc began following biodynamic principles in 1988, with part of the production Demeter certified since 2003. Today, enologist Hervé Jestin continues the legacy of this visionary house.

Leclerc Briant was an early adopter of organic practices beginning in the 1960’s and pioneered the concept of single-vineyard Champagne starting in the 1970’s. Fifth generation vigneron, Pascal Leclerc started to follow biodynamic principles in 1988, with part of the production Demeter certified since 2003. Today, enologist Hervé Jestin continues the legacy of this visionary house. Ten hectares of vineyard spread between the Premier Cru villages of Cumières, Hautvillers, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Bisseuil in the Vallée de la Marne, Villers-Allerand and Rilly la Montagne in Montagne de Reims and the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs. Leclerc Briant also holds long-term contracts with another 8 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards. Les Basses Prières is from a single 0.17-hectare plot in the premier cru village of Hautvillers in the Vallée de la Marne. The southeast facing plot is planted to 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay with an average vine age of 40 years. Spontaneous fermentation and aging take place in used 225-liter French oak barriques for 9 months followed by 36 months aging sur lattes. The wine receives a low dosage with just 2 grams per liter of residual sugar. 1,800 bottles produced.

The Maker: For almost two hundred years, Champagne Bollinger has been making powerful, refined and complex wines that express the aromas of fruit in all its dimensions. In 1829, Athanase de Villermont’s vast estate just outside the town of Äy provided the backdrop for the founding of an extraordinary Champagne house - but as an aristocrat, Athanese was forbidden from engaging in commercial trade. With the recruitment of Joseph “Jacques” Bollinger, a Champagne merchant, and Paul Renaudin, a Champernois fascinated by the world of wine, the Bollinger legacy began. The Bollinger style is inimitable and recognised as such by great connoisseurs. It possesses a dense and subtle presence: a balance of the intensity of great Pinot Noirs and the freshness of Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs. The house’s offerings are rooted in 5 tangible principles: the vineyards; Pinot Noir; magnums of reserve wines; the barrels, and time. Bollinger wines release a creamy effervescence resulting from vinifying in oak barrels and prolonged contact with the yeasts. Every tasting yields new delights that are guaranteed to transport you. The Vineyard: Bollinger has built its vineyards at the heart of the finest crus in Champagne. 180 hectares of vines are made up of 85% Grand and Premier crus and are farmed by our teams of growers across 7 separate vineyards: Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois and Verzenay for Pinot Noir; the Montagne de Reims, Cuis for Chardonnay; and the Côte des Blancs and Champvoisy for Meunier. Another of Bollinger’s distinctive features are the two plots of Clos Saint-Jacques and Chaudes Terres. There, ungrafted vines are entirely tended by hand and reproduced using a form of layering called provignage, preserving the extraordinary heritage from which the Vieilles Vignes Françaises cuvée is produced. Pinot Noir is the varietal on which Bollinger has staked its reputation. A demanding grape that requires care at every step, it remains front and centre because of the incomparable finesse it brings to a wine. Today, the Pinot Noir planted around the Montagne de Reims represents over 60% of the Bollinger vineyards. This also just happens to be the exact proportion it occupies in Special Cuvée! Multi-faceted and surprising, its unusually high ratio in the blends is a signature of the Bollinger style, to which it lends power, body and vinosity. It has been one of the founding principles of Champagne Bollinger’s identity from the very beginning. Bollinger is guided by a responsibility anchored in time and a commitment to people, the earth and our roots. It is committed to the well-being of its teams, preserving biodiversity, and reducing the brand’s carbon footprint. Tasting Notes: NOSE Powerful, complex, red fruits The beauty of ripe fruit and spicy aromas; hints of roasted apples, compote and peaches. PALATE Lush, enveloping, creamy A subtle combination of structure, length and vivacity; bubbles like velvet; pear, brioche and spicy aromas, notes of fresh walnut. FINISH Dry, mineral, petrichor Mellow and refreshing, punctuated by a crisp bite derived from its Chardonnay component. Reviews + Accolades: “... this iconic non-vintage cuvée is dominated by Pinot Noir that gives impressive richness as well as ripe stone fruits. Wood fermentation adds further complexity as does the age of this bottling before release. Drink this Champagne now.” – Wine Enthusiast The Finer Details: Style - Champagne Varietal - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier Country - France Region - Champagne Vintage - Non-Vintage Bottle Size - 750ml ABV - 12% Closure - Cork

Discover an alluring aroma of delicate white flowers, fresh almond, and a whisper of ginger, hinting at its refined character. The taste is remarkably precise yet expansive, offering a seamless blend of vibrant citrus, a touch of red berry fruit, and a subtle savory depth, all carried by incredibly fine bubbles that contribute to a luxurious and persistent mouthfeel.