Midalidare’s grape varieties: Meunier - Wines & winemaking

• Sparkling wine: Meunier is used in classic non-vintage sparkling wines blend. Because the juice is clear (despite the dark skins), it is an essential component in producing elegant Blanc de Noirs. In Rosé Classic style it is used after a short maceration, most commonly blended with Pinot Noir.
• Still red wine: Although less common, still Meunier wines are gaining popularity. It is typically fermented with minimal extraction to preserve its silky texture and fresh, vibrant red fruit characteristics.
• Still rosé: It can be used macerated to create still rosés, which sometimes develop a pleasantly smoky character. 

Classic Champagne blend: Meunier is the backbone of many non-vintage Champagnes and sparkling wines, providing roundness, immediate fruit intensity, and approachability.
100% Meunier (Blanc de Noirs / Blanc de Meunier): A growing trend among grower-producers. These single variety wines are highly aromatic, expressive, and fruit-forward, providing a luxurious drinking experience.
Sparkling Rosés: Because of the red grape skins, Meunier makes vibrant, textural, and fruit-driven sparkling rosés. 

• Flavour: Bursting with tart cherry, pomegranate, and floral notes, sometimes accompanied by subtle baking spice or earthy undertones.
• Body: Medium-to-light body with very fine, soft tannins and a bright, fresh finish.
• Ageing: Still Meunier is generally meant to be consumed young and fresh. 

Many of us will be familiar with Blanc de Noir (white of black) on a bottle of Champagne, though somewhat a little rarer is the term Blanc de Meunier (white of Meunier). This type of sparkling wine is produced only in Champagne.

Approximately one third of the Champagne wine growing region is dedicated to the Meunier grape variety, though slightly less famed than its two other well-known counterparts in the making of the famous wine from this region, in recent years it has once again gained popularity with many houses dedicating labels to 100% Meunier or Blanc de Meunier. 

Blanc de Meunier tasting notes by Champagne Laurent Lequart: “Soft walnut, citrus, herbaceous nose. Strong and punchy style in the palate with a fresh citrus driven with nutty and chalky characters.“

One of the unique things about Meunier is its ability to make sparkling wines of different styles; from light and refreshing aperitifs to full and rich styles that can handle bold and flavourful meat dishes. Aromatics found in a glass are equally fascinating from fresh citrus fruits of orange, pink grapefruit, and lemon, as well as stone fruits like peach, nectarine, apricot, and Mirabelle plum. When blessed with sunshine and warm weather, Meunier can also show ripe and exotic notes of William pear, mango, pineapple, and gooseberry. Sometimes there are floral scents of orange blossom, honeysuckle, and jasmine together with warmer notes of almonds, aniseed and ginger. Earthy aromas, such as mushrooms and truffles, are often found in more mature bottlings.

Fresh: Known for adding texture, finesse, fruit (and sometimes a bit of herbal or spice notes) to Champagne blends particularly.

Floral: More perfumed than earthy, Meunier is known for being delightfully aromatic.

Fruity: Meunier is known for being very red-fruited and juicy, which brings some bright character to sparkling blends and still wines.

Meunier is a fruit-driven wine. On the nose, expect bold aromas of cherry, followed by juicy red fruits including raspberry and strawberry. This abundance of fruity flavours is carried over on to the palate with a sprinkling of earthy notes of mushroom and forest floor. It’s also common to discover slightly more tropical or floral nuances here. When this grape is blended in Champagne, it adds fruitiness and aromatic characteristics, complementing the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay perfectly.

What does Meunier taste like?

Standard tasting notes: Red Cherry, Cranberry, Raspberry, Rose, Forest Floor, Baking Spice

What is the structure of Meunier?

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to structure for every grape, however, there is a general range when it comes to body, acid, alcohol, and tannin for each. Below are general guidelines for classic representations. Growing conditions and winemaking techniques can impact each of the following.

Medium body - think of that weight as a liquid scale, from water (light body) to heavy cream (full body) in your mouth. Meunier is on the lighter side!

High acid - you can judge acidity based on whether your mouth waters after you take a sip of something. The more you salivate, the higher the acid. Pinot Meunier is known to have high acidity, even more so than Pinot Noir.

Low alcohol - you can feel alcohol ‘burn’ the back of your throat when you take a sip. Meunier typically has very low alcohol for still wine as well as sparkling.

Low tannin - tannin comes from the skin of the grapes during the winemaking process. You can tell a wine has high tannin if it dries out your tongue. It imparts almost a bitter flavor. Pinot Munier is known for little tannin.