History
The goal at the House of Leclerc Briant is to create and market unique champagnes with an innovative style through a combination of meticulous attention to detail in both the vineyard and the winery, together with the utmost care of, and respect for, Mother Nature and the Terroirs.
It was Lucien Leclerc who, in 1872, with vineyards that were part of the dowry of his young wife Adèle, founded the Leclerc Estate in the village of Cumières, on the banks of the river Marne, near Epernay. Adèle was the first, but certainly not the only, woman to play a discreet, but crucial role in the success of the business down the years.
It was transformed into a champagne trading house in 1955 by Bertrand Leclerc, the great grandson of Lucien and the fourth generation of vignerons, together with his wife, Jacqueline Briant.
In the same year, as the business grew, the company adopted the name House of Leclerc Briant and moved to Epernay where it still occupies the original premises in Rue Chaude Ruelle.
In 2012 the company was acquired by an American couple who are lovers of the French ‘Art de Vivre’ in conjunction with some French investors from Champagne, and the business is now managed by Frédéric Zeimett, in concert with Ségolène Leclerc, representing the sixth generation of this venerable line of vignerons.
Leclerc Briant, the ultimate Bio-Chic House, is recognized for its ‘savoir-faire’. To this day, as it continues to forge ahead, the House relies on the two values that shaped its past, Respect and Singularity, whilst giving them a distinctly modern twist.
The buildings in Epernay – comprising the cellars and the production facilities – cover approximately 5,000 m2 including more than a kilometre of cellars where up to 800,000 bottles can be stored. The Lower Cellars, 35m underground, are ideal for champagnes that need extended ageing: the Vintage champagnes, the Single Vineyard champagnes and the Specialties range.
Spread out below the terrace of the main building lies the town of Epernay and a little further in the distance, the vineyard villages nearby: Hautvillers and Champillon to the north and Cuis and Chavot to the south… Right next to the buildings lies the delightful little plot of vines called La Croisette which is reached by a grassy path that opens out onto a veritable garden bursting with life. It’s from this plot that one of the House’s finest Single Vineyard champagnes is created.