Blanc de noirs champagnes are made exclusively from black grapes pinot noir and/or pinot meunier but far more frequently pinot noir as meunier is rarely considered worthy alone, although this is changing.

Blanc de noirs champagnes are rich and full-bodied and are not as common as blanc de blancs. I am a great fan of this category as they are the perfect friends for champagne dinners; they are food champagnes. Krug Clos d’Ambonnay is the ultimate one.

Among the more common and affordable, my favorites are Boizel Brut Blanc de Noirs, Drappier Brut Nature, Henri Giraud Code Noir, de Venoge Princes Blanc de Noirs, and Gosset Grand Blanc de Noirs (a limited edition).