South of the Montagne de Reims and the town of Épernay lies an area known as la côte des Blancs, where there are more than 8,000 acres of vineyards planted mainly in Chardonnay grapes. Chardonnay is a white-wine grape, as you know, and champagne wine made exclusively with its juice is called blanc de blancs ("white wine from white grapes"). Most champagne wines are made with an assemblage of the juice of three different grapes: two reds (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) plus a portion of Chardonnay juice. Champagnes that don't include any Chardonnay juice are called blanc de noirs — yes, some red (noir) grapes produce white juice when crushed. Some people, including me, think blanc de blancs is the finest style of champagne. Chardonnay is also the grape that Chablis wine is made from in northern Burgundy, about 85 miles to the south.
The French word côte has three different meanings, in fact. Une côte is a rib (human or animal), a chop, or a cutlet
(as in côte de porc or côte de bœuf). Côte can also mean "hillside" or "slope";
it also means "coast" as in La Côte d'Azur on the Mediterranean.
It's pronounced [koht] — one syllable.
There are four wine villages in the area called la côte des Blancs — Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Oger.
La côte des Blancs is actually the eastern edge of the part of France called L'Île de France, which is the 5,000 mi² plateau that is basically the Paris area — la région parisienne. (Some of the photos here are of villages on the Montagne de Reims, and others are of villages on the côte des Blancs.)
All this information about the Champagne region is fascinating. You are an excellent teacher, Ken. Now I finally understand about blanc de blancs and blanc de noirs. Never made sense to me before. Kiwi
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind comment. I've known and been friends with several people from Reims over the years and learned a lot during visits there. Champagne vintners used to make a very delicious still Chardonnay blanc de blancs wine that I loved. Nowadays, they turn basically all the Chardonnay juice into sparkling champagne because it sells at a higher price. That's my understanding. I wish I could get the not-sparkling blanc de blancs again.
DeleteDitto what Kiwi said. I've learned so much more about wines and their grapes, and the meanings of phrases we hear associated with them, from what you share with us on your blog. Merci!
ReplyDeleteYou are too kind, J. I enjoy sharing my random bits of information gathered during 50 years of time spent in France. I would be so unhappy if I couldn't live here.
DeleteMaybe you will stumble upon a still Chardonnay blanc de blancs one day. You never know.
ReplyDeleteIl faut rester optimiste, n'est-ce pas? How was NY?
ReplyDeleteLovely countryside and nice explanation of blanc de blancs. Now I will understand what I'm reading on the wine label.
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