Few names command as much mystique in the wine world as Champagne. For centuries, the secrets of the ultimate expression of sparkling wine were closely guarded behind the high walls of the grand Champagne houses. But as consumers become more curious about what’s in their glass, savvy producers are starting to test the boundaries.

Piper-Heidsieck is one of the oldest and most legendary Champagne houses in France – presented to Marie Antoinette at Versailles in 1785, and proclaimed by Marilyn Monroe to be her breakfast of choice. But one of Champagne’s youngest cellar masters, Émilien Boutillat, is injecting some modern thinking into one of the most traditional wine regions in the world.

Born and raised in Champagne but trained around the new wine world, the 36-year-old chef de cave has been granted extraordinary breadth to experiment and innovate at the helm of the legacy house since taking up the chief winemaker mantle in 2018. Last month, the very first cuvée crafted entirely under Boutillat’s care was revealed – Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Blanc de Noirs. But the story behind this drop goes beyond just another bottle of bubbly. 

What is blanc de noirs?

Blanc de noirs translates literally to ‘white from blacks’ – in this case, a white wine made with the dark-skinned grapes of pinot noir and pinot meunier. Essentially, this is a white wine made from red grapes, achieved by removing the dark skins from the clear grape juice after pressing.

Blanc de noirs is the flipside of the better-known blanc de blancs (‘white from whites’), which is crafted entirely from the white grape, chardonnay. This all comes back to the holy trinity of Champagne – pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, the three grape varietals that form the backbone of the vast majority of wines from the region. When Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Blanc de Noirs hits Australian shores, it will be one of very few expressions of this style available from a major house.

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What to expect from a blanc de noirs

Blanc de noirs is often typified as a fuller bodied, fruitier style of Champagne, coming as it does from the more ‘robust’ red grapes, known for bolder, red fruit notes. For this reason, it’s often seen as a Champagne with enough heft to go well with food, but less bright and dry than a chardonnay-heavy Champagne. However, the vibrancy that the house of Piper-Heidsieck is known for flows right through its blanc de noirs, resulting in a dry, dynamic sparkling with enough structure for versatile food pairing, but a lithe texture and drinkability that makes it perfect for a sunny afternoon on its own.

The essentials of Essentiel Blanc de Noirs

Boutillat’s choice of his first release is not one made lightly in a region where tradition still holds so tight. Going for a lesser-known Champagne style is a bold move in a global release, but symbolic of a refreshing openness to change. The quiet revolution doesn’t stop there; Piper-Heidsieck is also one of the most sustainable Champagnes on the market.

Future-proofing Champagne has been Boutillat’s concern since day one, with Piper-Heidsieck becoming the very first B Corp-certified Champagne house in 2022, committed to achieving Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC) certification for every one of its plots by 2025. In a sign of things to come, Essentiel Blanc de Noirs is made entirely with grapes from VDC-certified plots, with plantings from cooler areas of Champagne that are set to stand in better stead as climate change alters the topography of the industry forever.

Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Blanc de Noirs will start to hit our shelves come September, just in time to toast to spring.

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