Having just wrapped up the holiday season when a lot of Champagne and sparkling wines are enjoyed, I came across a Blanc de Blanc Champagne. At first it seems that ‘Blanc de Blanc” is just a fancy name for a French Champagne. But, this is just another example of something in the wine world that is seemly complex or confusing that is really rather simple.

If you took high school French, which I didn’t, you’d know that ‘Blanc de Blanc’ literately translates as ‘White from White.” Okay, you might ask, but what does that have to do with Champagne? The answer to that question requires a very quick review of how Champagne is produced. French Champagne is traditionally produced from three grapes - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (Pee-noh Mehr-n'yay). The Chardonnay is a white grape, while the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are black.

So, you may have already gotten ahead of me. A ‘Blanc de Blanc’ or ‘White from White’ means that this type of Champagne is made solely from white grapes, namely Chardonnay.

Conversely, a ‘Blanc de Noir’ simple translates as ‘White from Black.’ Thus, it is a Champagne made from black grapes - Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. And, as we’ve learned, the juice from all grapes is clear - it’s the grape skins that give it the red color. So, in a ‘Blanc de Noir’ the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are pressed but the juice is not given any time in contact with the dark grape skins and therefore remain ‘white.’

So, in summary, you can have Champagne in three different styles:

Traditional Champagne - Produced with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Blanc de Blanc Champagne - Produced with Chardonnay
Blanc de Noir Champagne - Produced with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier

2013 Left Coast Estate Blanc de Noir ($55)

Here’s just the bubbly for the holidays.

This Left Coast Estate Blanc de Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir (one of the components of French Champagne). It is fermented in 100% Stainless Steel to preserve the bright flavors then aged by the Méthode traditionnelle (bottle fermented) for 4.5 years.

Left Coast states that “This wine will deliver your pallet on a journey of crisp acidity, an array of flavors of apple and pear accented with floral notes and summer grasses, and rounding off with a rich, yeasty and subtle finish.”

Their Winemaker’s Tasting Notes say “This pale yellow sparkling wine displays aromas of yellow apple, subtle lavender and biscuit. This wine will deliver your pallet on a journey of crisp acidity, an array of flavors of apple and pear accented with floral notes and summer grasses, and rounding off with a rich, yeasty and subtle finish.”

I say this Left Coast Blanc de Noir is absolutely superb!

This is a limited production of just 135 cases. And, it received a score of 91 from Wine Enthusiast (Chosen as a “Celler Selection” for being a special bottle that will stand the test of tim). So, look carefully for this one and enjoy. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Left Coast Estate winery