Bollinger's Vieilles Vignes Françaises comes from a few rows of ungrafted Pinot Noir in Aÿ and Bouzy, pressed so gently that the juice never touches the black skins long enough to pick up colour. That gentle press is the entire trick behind Blanc de Noirs: a white wine built from red grapes.
Black grapes, clear juice
Blanc de Noirs, "white from blacks", is made entirely from black-skinned grapes: Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, alone or blended, with no Chardonnay at all. The colour comes from the skins, not the juice, so pressing the grapes whole and quickly, before any skin contact, keeps the wine pale, sometimes with a faint gold or salmon tint rather than true white.
Weight instead of lift
Where Blanc de Blancs runs on citrus and chalk, Blanc de Noirs carries the structure of Pinot Noir and the round, generous fruit of Meunier: red cherry, redcurrant, sometimes a savoury, smoky edge with age. These are the fullest-bodied wines Champagne makes without adding a drop of red wine.
FAQ
Can Blanc de Noirs contain Chardonnay?
No. The designation is reserved for cuvées made entirely from black grapes, meaning Pinot Noir and Meunier. Any Chardonnay in the blend disqualifies the label.
Is it always pale?
Mostly, though some growers let the juice sit on the skins slightly longer, producing an "oeil de perdrix" (partridge-eye) blush rather than a true white.
What food suits it?
Its weight handles roast poultry, mushrooms and hard cheeses better than a lighter blend or Blanc de Blancs, and it rewards serving a few degrees warmer than a standard Brut.