Discover Sparkling: Blanc De Blancs

What is blanc de blancs? The term translates from the French for ‘white from whites’. Made in the méthode traditionelle, it hails from Champagne. But unlike most Champagnes, which are made from a blend of chardonnay with red grape varieties pinot noir and pinot meunier, blanc de blancs is crafted entirely from white grapes. Elegant and lithe, it can be lean and mineral, or more full-bodied with a lush, creamy texture, depending on its provenance.

Blanc de blancs in Champagne

Chardonnay is Champagne’s most sought-after grape. The epicentre of chardonnay in Champagne lies on the hallowed inclines of the Côte des Blancs. With dramatic slopes, warmer days and thinner topsoils making chalk more accessible than anywhere in the region, the Côte des Blancs produces Champagne’s most regular fruit, and most reliable, exhilarating and mineral-infused wines. This is why many are sold unblended as blanc de blancs. These are among Champagne’s most searingly structured and long-lived wines.

French blanc de blancs to try:

Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc De Blancs

This cuvée that will surprise you with its pure intensity and finesse. It boasts aromas of almonds and fresh hazelnuts with fleshy white stone fruit. The palate is creamy with a fresh and elegant sweetness.

Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs

From one of France’s most historic Champagne houses, this blanc de blancs is fresh, tangy and invigorating with a mineral intensity on the finish. It is a vivacious wine of immense energy and vitality.

Australian blanc de blancs

It won’t come as a big surprise to hear that the best Australian blanc de blancs come from the regions where the best méthode traditionelle wines are made, namely the cool climates of Tasmania, the Upper Yarra Valley, the Macedon Ranges, and pockets of the Adelaide Hills. In these places the terroir — with its similarity to that of Champagne — produces sparklings of great finesse and complexity, with their own local twist.

Australian blanc de blancs to try:

Arras Blanc de Blancs NV

This award-winning Tasmanian wine shows elements of peach and citrus with sourdough yeast, cashew and natural yoghurt. The creamy palate is elegantly structured, with great tension in the balance of acidity and tannin.

Chandon Vintage Blanc de Blancs

From the Yarra Valley, this exquisite vintage sparkling from Chandon is a truly exceptional expression of chardonnay. It is delicate and floral to start, followed by a creamy mid-palate, then a lingering, zesty finish.

Blanc de blancs and food

This fresh and intense wine is particularly well suited to pairing with vegetable-based dishes or the classic seafood combinations such as oysters or prawns. But don’t save it for a special occasion! Blanc de blancs are also at home with calamari or simple fish and chips.