A Blanc de Noirs is a white wine made from dark-skinned grapes, and it’s almost always sparkling. In Champagne that means Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or both; ours is made from Pinot Noir we grow in Oregon’s Rogue Valley.
The name is French for “white from blacks.” It tells you the grapes were dark but the wine isn’t. We’re Domaine St. Laurent, a family-owned winery and vineyard in Eagle Point, Oregon, and our first sparkling wine is a Blanc de Noirs.
How is it made white from red grapes?
Pinot Noir juice is nearly clear. The color in red wine comes from the skins, so a red wine sits on its skins for days or weeks. For a Blanc de Noirs, the grapes are pressed gently and the juice is separated from the skins right away, so very little color comes through. Some show a faint gold or copper tint.
Here’s how we made ours. We picked Pommard Pinot Noir from Block 1A by hand before sunrise on August 27, 2024, at 18.9 Brix (a measure of grape sugar). Picking early keeps the acidity a sparkling wine needs. For comparison, we picked the same block on September 13 at 23.2 Brix for our 2024 Estate Pinot Noir, a red.
The whole clusters went onto a gentle Champagne press cycle, and the juice settled cold for 48 to 72 hours. It fermented for 21 days in stainless steel with a Champagne yeast, never above 57°F.
Most sparkling wine gets its bubbles from a second fermentation that traps carbon dioxide in the wine. In Champagne that happens in the bottle (the traditional method); in the Charmat method it happens in a sealed tank.
What does a Blanc de Noirs taste like?
Compared with a sparkling wine made only from white grapes, a Blanc de Noirs usually has more body and more red fruit: strawberry, red apple, sometimes a little cherry. Pinot Noir gives it that fruit even though the wine is white.
Our 2024 Enchanté Blanc de Noirs ($45) has fresh strawberry, citrus blossom and a little brioche on the nose. On the palate there’s wild strawberry, Meyer lemon and green apple, with lively acidity, a fine, persistent bead (the stream of bubbles) and a touch of creaminess. The finish is clean, with citrus zest and soft floral notes. It’s Brut (dry), with about 7 g/L of residual sugar, and 12.6% alcohol.
It scored 91 Points from JamesSuckling.com in the September 2026 Tasting Report. Courtney Humiston found “salted peach, brioche and red apple skin” on the nose. You can find it on the 2024 Enchanté Blanc de Noirs page.
What’s the difference between Blanc de Noirs and Blanc de Blancs?
Blanc de Blancs means “white from whites”: a white wine made only from white grapes, which in Champagne is usually Chardonnay. Sparkling rosé is the third common style, and it’s pink on purpose.
| Blanc de Noirs | Blanc de Blancs | Sparkling rosé | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grapes | Dark-skinned (in Champagne, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) | White (in Champagne, usually Chardonnay) | Usually dark-skinned, sometimes blended with white |
| Color | White; gentle pressing keeps the skin color out | White | Pink, from short skin contact or a little red wine blended in |
| Typical style | Fuller body, red fruit, red apple | Lighter, citrus, green apple | Red fruit, often a little fuller |
If you like Champagne with some weight to it, Blanc de Noirs is a good place to start. If you like it lean and citrusy, try a Blanc de Blancs.
How do you serve a Blanc de Noirs?
Serve it well chilled. A white wine glass works fine and lets you smell more than a narrow flute does.
The body and acidity make it easy with food. We like ours with oysters or other raw shellfish, fried chicken, or smoked salmon with crème fraîche. Those are standard matches for Brut sparkling wine. VinePair writes that Brut loves salty foods, from oysters to fried chicken, and pairs Blanc de Noirs with mushrooms and roast chicken or duck. Wine Folly calls sparkling wine the best bet with fried chicken, and The World of Fine Wine serves Champagne with smoked salmon blinis.
Our Enchanté is ready to drink now. There’s no need to cellar it.
Do you make other sparkling wines?
Enchanté is our first. Our next, from the 2026 harvest, will be made here at our estate by the Charmat method. The story of the first one is in Enchanté, Our First Sparkling Wine.
Quick answers
What does Blanc de Noirs mean? It’s French for “white from blacks”: a white wine made from dark-skinned grapes.
Is Blanc de Noirs always sparkling? Usually, though still versions exist; the term is most common on sparkling wine.
What grapes are in a Blanc de Noirs? In Champagne, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or both; ours is 100% Pinot Noir, Pommard clone.
Is Blanc de Noirs sweet? It depends on the producer; ours is Brut (dry), with about 7 g/L of residual sugar.
How cold should Blanc de Noirs be? Serve it well chilled, straight from the fridge.
Every review of our wines is on our Press & Ratings page, and Enchanté is in the shop, sold in sets of three.