Blanc de Noirs question

Epicurious defines Blanc de Noirs as Champagne made from Pinot Noir with only brief skin contact.http://www.epicurious.com/drinking/wine_dictionary/entry?idU43

"Bi!!" wrote in news:1141685497.891679.128890 @j52g2000cwj.googlegroups.com:

Tom Stevenson's 2003 Champagne & Sparkling Wine Guide (the last one?) says "In the New World, blanc de noirs (white wine made from black grapes) can be various shades, but in Champagne the skill is to produce as clear a wine as possible from Pinot Noir or Meunier, and the most famous is Bollinger's Vieilles Vignes Françaises."

I have a preference for blanc de noirs (or should it be blancs de noir?), is there any site that says which Champagnes are which? d.

Here is what Clive Coates had to say in a book of his:

"Blanc de Noirs

Blanc de Noirs, literally 'white of blacks', is a Champagne made entirely from either or both Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. There are very few of these wines. Bollinger produces a delicious but very, very expensive wine from a small plot of vieilles vignes françaises (ungrafted vines). The colour is golden, rather than straw-yellow and the wine is full-bodied, intensely flavoured, and very rich but not sweet: certainly a Champagne for food rather than for drinking as an aperitif."

Coates usually is right concerning French wines. If the wine is any kind of Champagne, it must contain only allowed grapes. However I do not know if French law would allow a certain small amount of Chardonnay, or if the complete exclusion of Chardonnay is just a custom.

When it comes to other sparkling wines, there might be variation from country to country and for states or regions within countries. Several California wines have been labeled Blanc de Noirs. I recall that, in the past, many New York state "champagnes" were made from native and hybrid grapes, so who knows what rules and customs would apply in such a case. Also many countries outside of Europe likely have their own rules and customs. I suspect that you could find some state in the US or some country where you could make a wine labeled "champagne" blanc de noirs from Concord table grapes!

Normally, it'll say on the label, De. Thanks for the info, too.

Mark Lipton

Mark Lipton wrote in news:6f8Pf.9136$oL.2810@attbi_s71:

Aw, Mark, that wasn't what I wanted to hear! If I can't get the bottle in hand, I won't be able to read it! :( thanks, tho'

d.

Here is a list with Champagne at the top and other sparklers at the bottom. You may have to take a trip to Europe or the US to find some of these. This list should keep you quite busy hunting and tasting for a long time.

Tesco Blanc de Noirs Champagne (UK French house brand) Charles Lafitte Blanc de Noirs Drappier, Brut Nature(Bl de Noir), Champagne De Venoge BLANC de NOIRS NV Champagne Pommery WINTERTIME Blanc de Noirs Champagne Champagne Canard-Duchene GRANDE CUVEE CHARLES VII Blanc de Noirs Champagne Champagne E. Barnaut Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Noirs Champagne Louis Dousset Blanc de Noirs 6 ans Déthune Blanc de Noirs NV NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Blanc De Noirs Jean Laurent Champagne Blanc de Noirs Egly - Ouriet - Vieilles Vignes Blanc de Noirs, Champagne Jolly R. - Brut Blanc de Noirs,Champagne Champagne Perrot-Boulonnais fils : Blanc de noirs Charles Orban Blanc De Noirs NV Chanoine Blanc De Noirs Champagne Bruno Paillard Blanc de Noirs Brut Vintage 1973 ______________________________________________________

Dom. Chandon NV Blanc de Noirs Champagne Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs, Sparkling Wine (champagne) Iron Horse 2002 Wedding Cuvee Champagne

Bubbly Champagne from Iron Horse California. Our Blanc de Noirs, made from predominately Pinot Noir, with a beautiful, pink-gold color which ...

Mumm Cuvee Napa Blanc de Noirs Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc De Noirs NV S Anderson Blanc de Noirs '99 Korbel Champagne Cellars Blanc de Noirs NV Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Brut Sonoma County Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs 2000 Domaine Ste. Michelle Columbia Blanc de Noir Gruet NV Blanc de Noirs Frank Family Vineyards Champagne, Blanc de Noir

"cwdjrxyz" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:

Oh, thank you cwdjr! I've had a couple of these, and I know some others are available in Pennsylvania. The Mumm Cuvee Napa is a favorite "everyday" sparkler...especially when it's on sale :) Of the Champagnes, I think the Jean Laurent is the only one I've had. Or maybe that was a Rose?

I think I'm going to be out of luck with the Tesco one ;)

But - much obliged! d. :)