Sparkling Wine Guide: Blanc de Noirs

After more than four years of waiting, our first Blanc de Noirs is on the market. Midalidare Blanc de Noirs NV, along with Midalidare Pas Dosé NV and Midalidare Premier Extra Brut NV, is awarded with gold medal from the CSWWC 2024.

The wine is made from Pinot Noir and Meunier and is aged on the lees for 48 months. Gorgeous fruity and floral aromas are followed by fresh and roundness on the palate, very good balance and lingering finish. Excellent choice for prolonged ageing in bottle or enjoying at once.

What is “Blanc de Noirs”?

The name "Blanc de Noirs" refers to a Champagne made from black grape varieties alone such as Pinot Noir and/or Meunier. Their flesh, and therefore the juice that will give its colour to the future Champagne wine, is white. During the pressing stage, contact between juice and skins is limited to the minimum in order to avoid colouring.

These Champagne wines give an impression of power, density and structure. They generally have more body than wines that include white grapes in their blend. They also have what’s known as "vinosity". A vinous Champagne is a wine with a powerful body. The term refers to the sensation of heat on the palate. In this regard, these Champagnes contrast with other lighter, more aerial wines.

Pinot Noir and Meunier produce notes of white and yellow fruits (peaches, apricots and plums), as well as red fruits (strawberries, raspberries and cherries) and even black fruits (blackberries and blueberries), citrus fruits (mandarins and oranges), exotic fruits (mangos and passion fruit), floral touches (roses, peonies and violets) and sometimes spices (cinnamon and cloves). When older, they develop notes of coffee, cocoa, prunes, and sometimes leather. They’ll also include aromas of brioche, fresh butter, biscuit dough or toast.

What to expect form a Blanc de Noirs?

Appearance: 

• Lemon yellow, 
• Golden yellow.

Aroma: 

• Fruity - citrus, red or yellow fruits, whether fresh or candied, may come to the fore,
• Floral - This encompasses notes of white flowers, lime blossom, rose and violet for example,
• Spicy - This profile includes notes of vanilla, pepper and cinnamon.

Palate: 

• Full-bodied - A wine’s full-bodied side is associated with a sense of density and roundness on the palate,
• Structured - Each element (aromas, acidity, body) is easy to identify and balanced,
• Dense - A wine’s density is experienced through its aromatic wealth and volume on the palate.