Blanc de Blancs Champagnes are sparkling wines made exclusively with white grape varieties (as opposed to the Blanc de Noirs made with red grapes) grown in the Champagne region.
While other white grape varieties are allowed in Champagne, practically, almost all Blanc de Blancs are made from 100% Chardonnay grapes.
Most often, they are blended from various blocks of Chardonnay, and sometimes different vintages to achieve a more complete style and better consistency year after year.
To find the best Blanc de Blancs Champagnes and the ones you should buy, we’ve asked all the most famous Champagne houses (wineries) to submit their best wines in this style and give it their best shot at Social Vignerons AWARDS.
Find all the wines’ tasting notes and ratings further below on this very page. Wine tasting videos and detailed reviews for each wine are available via each wine’s review page, click through to view them 🙂
The Best Blanc de Blancs Champagne Wines : Awarded Wines
I said in the full tasting reviews (see below) : “A very well rounded vintage Blanc de Blancs providing many fascinating facets to tasting a sparkling wine. Unique personality given by the concentration of the acidity, salty minerality and an utter smoothness.” What else needs saying: a delicious wine with great smooth bubbles!
The best value Blanc de Blancs Champagnes: best buying recommendations
Yes, there is a reason the above wines were awarded. They are simply outstanding!
But fine vintage cuvées with the highest refinements often come at a cost!
For more affordable choices, still with great qualities and perfectly rounded expressions, here is our Top 3 selection:
Cattier has given us here a Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs with an extremely aerial and smooth texture. Lively and expressive, filled with floral and honey tones, it is very satisfying at a reasonable price tag.
Both lively fruity and mineral, two of the main qualities we love and expect in Blanc de Blancs, this Grand Cru reveals a concentrated elegant finesse showcasing its perfect execution.
Probably the most affordable in the lineup if you can find it (find buying link in the wine’s review page), This Chardonnay from the Southern part of the Champagne region reveals intact characteristics of the fruit it was made from, with great balance, concentration, and affirmed personality.
The Blanc de Blancs I Also Enjoyed: Personal Recommendation
Of course, given the choice, I would drink the best awarded wines (the ones mentioned above) every day of the week (I mean…), but life is better with variety and I see value and potential pleasure in every well-made wine.
So here are 3 wines I much enjoyed and would happily sip. So 3 Champagnes I happily recommend:
An extreme refinement for this Grand Cru offering great tension with plenty of primary fruit character as well as opulence from the aging on lees.
There is everything in this wine which should make of it a crowd pleaser. Fresh and zesty yet the right amount of refinements to make it a serious wine, it is easy to love therefore if you’re serving it at a gathering, most palates should be delighted.
A crisp and refreshing Blanc de Blancs that seems to be made for pairing with elegant foods without making things too complicated.
Also find the Best Champagne Wines in other Categories:
Blanc de Blancs Awards in Video
Social Vignerons Awards: All Wine Reviews & Ratings
2008 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs Brut : Stunning Balance & Complexity !
Score : 94+/100
This is a vintage cuvée that retails around $120 or 70€.
Tasting Notes
This 2008 vintage Blanc de Blancs comes in rather intense yellow color with gold hues, like mirroring the wine bottle’s golden packaging. Nice! Aromas are intense and complex. Spices and nuts dominate a stunning aromatic complexity. Intense and deep filled with walnut, nutmeg, lemon, vanilla and more, it does smell light and elegant suggesting a sophisticated bubbly. The palate confirms this impression with an absolute balance and composure. Dry, the acidity is marked but so well rounded up by flawless balance, the right amount of body, delightful smoothness and a velvety texture. Some drying oak phenolics to the finish accentuate the great length. Flavorwise, primary fruit notes of ripe citrus fruit and flowers marry oaky, leesy and slight oxidative tones; it is hard to fault, but easy to get lost in in admiration and enjoyment. An extremely well-made Champagne Blanc de Blancs that seems to have captured every facet of the style: minerality, fruitiness, with power and complexity from maturation, in a stunning balance and complexity.
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2004 Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs Brut : Personality & Depth !
Score : 93+/100
This is a vintage cuvée that retails around $350 or 300€.
Tasting Notes
This 2004 vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne sparkling wine comes in a bright yellow color with very slight amber hues, betraying only very subtly the wine’s already 12 years of age. At the very first smell, the wine strikes by its unique character for a Blanc de Blancs. Two notes pleasantly surprise. First, they are exuberant tropical fruit aromas. Passion fruit, pineapple, sweet and luscious exuberance so unique to this wine, so uncommon at this level of concentration in Chardonnays from Champagne. The second dominant note to the nose is a certain earthiness, like a forest floor character that recalls more of a Pinot Noir wine than a Chardonnay. This earthy character is so much rounded within tropical fruit notes, that they simply give depth and an intriguing personality to the whole. The palate is extremely smooth, with round body and creamy bubbles. Solid acidity is perfectly matched and balanced but discrete sugars underlining the fruitiness of the tropical fruit. Very long and layered finish accentuating the oaky and spicy touches in the wine. A Blanc de Blancs with a stunningly unique personality, complexity, depth and smooth balance. Delightful!
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2012 Maison Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut : Exuberant & Fascinating!
Score : 93/100
Tasting Notes
This 2012 vintage Champagne Blanc de Blancs comes in a slightly pale delicate lemon-yellow color. The nose is also rather introvert, a little tight, giving away elegant floral characters, a touch of lime, and oaky vanilla tones, all of them in very subtle notes. The palate is more affirmed, with an exuberant tasting profile: upfront striking acidity greatly complemented by a definite saltiness, uncommon at this level of intensity but enjoyable. The whole is provided in an extremely smooth and silky texture, with stunningly fine bubbles giving a creamy impression. Flavors are less shy than on the nose: powerful incredibly fresh lemon notes, sweet spices from the oak and maturation give an impressive depth to a light and lively experience. A very well rounded vintage Blanc de Blancs providing many fascinating facets to tasting a sparkling wine. Unique personality given by the concentration of the acidity, salty minerality and an utter smoothness.
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Champagne Cattier Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut : Silky and Sophisticated !
Score : 92+/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $45 or 40€.
Tasting Notes
The transparent bottle elegantly puts forward the bright lemon-yellow color of this wine. It’s just a little pale, just a little gris, appealing to look at. The nose is powerful in its intensity, but delicate in its expression. It’s mainly floral and fruity, with a touch of lifted grassiness. Orange peel and honeysuckle are the main notes, mellowed by honey. A lively expressive aromatic profile. The palate is dry with solid acidity, but what strikes is its smoothness and silky feel. This leaves your palate with a relaxing impression, like floating on a soft cushion which allows to enjoy the lively flavors peacefully. It’s a world of slightly vegetal honey, like acacia honey. It is smooth, mellowed and pleasing, yet with a good grip from the lime and herbal scents. Intense lemon and white peach fruits add to the large number of layers one can discover in this complex Champagne wine. The finish delivers a green tea-like bitterness that makes you salivate positively and provide some savoriness after this word of fruit and delicate honey. Silky phenolic texture to the finish as well. An extremely charming Blanc de Blancs, with tension but expressive, and filled with a charming extrovert and sophisticated personality.
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Champagne Lallier Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut : Elegant & Refined !
Score : 92+/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $50 or 40€.
Tasting Notes
Disgorged in March 2016. Slightly pale lemon-yellow color, with some gold hues, elegant to look at! It’s even more so to smell. Mineral fresh lemon and marmalade is what comes to mind. The nose is like fresh zesty lemon, though with a lemon tart edge to it that you would smell sitting by the ocean on a misty morning. A touch of white pepper lifts it up with a subtle spicy tone, and it’s creamy as your swirl. Tempting and charming, so fresh, deep, and pure. The palate has solid body and weight, but not heavy thanks to a mineral yet soft acidity. This weighty body fills your palate with a delicate oily texture, smoothness accentuated by extremely fine bubbles. Complex flavors of mixed spices, citrus and cream end on a long elegant finish. Concentrated elegant finesse for this Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs.
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Champagne Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut : Fresh & Complex !
Score : 92/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $85 or 55€. It is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes from 4 Grands Crus in the Cotes de Blancs area of the Champagne region: Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, and Mesnil-sur-Oger.
Tasting Notes
This Champagne sparkling wine comes in a bright and shiny lemon-yellow color, with some gold hues accentuating the intensity of its appearance. The aromatic expression of the nose is also very intense. Filled with brioche and roasted nuts, it’s also floral and citrusy. Tension, intrigue, and complexity are the key words to describe the aromas. Powerful yet delicate. The palate feels dry, dominated by solid acidity. But body and concentration balance it perfectly yet delivering a crisp mineral feel. Frothy texture with smooth body, flavors are intense and dominantly primary with rich fresh lemon. Delicate leesy characters are discrete and here simply to smoothen and complexify the experience. Very long finish. A well-rounded and concentrated Blanc de Blancs, crisp and fresh yet weighty and well balanced on an acidic feel.
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Champagne Gosset Grand Blanc de Blancs Brut : Fresh & Powerful !
Score : 92/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $85 or 55€.
Tasting Notes
Medium intensity lemon-yellow color, delicate and bright. The nose strikes by its power and intensity, dominated by toasted hazelnut and sweet spices. Nutmeg, clove, a touch of vanilla and caramel. Secondary aromas mainly, from the winemaking, though primary floral touches from the fruit are also to be smelt discretely. The palate reveals great tension with extreme concentration of the acidity making the wine feel zesty and lively. Rich bold spicy and nutty flavors are delivered with great intensity. Dry and well balanced with a solid body, the finish maintains the tension from the strong acidity felt all along, but adds an enjoyable savory grassiness and a touch of bitterness. An intense and powerful Champagne Blanc de Blancs, packed full with grape acidic concentration and freshness, plus a lot of complex secondary richness.
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Champagne Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs : Fresh & Rounded !
Score : 91/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $70 or 40€.
Tasting Notes
Bright lemon-yellow color of solid medium intensity for this Champagne sparkling wine. The wine shines with freshness: bright leesy, sea breeze, and floral characters. Subtle sweet spices lift it up and provide depth to an otherwise very light and delicate nose. Great balance full of tension driven by a solid zesty acidity underlining the fresh lemon flavors. Again, delicate sweet spices combined with buttery notes provide complexity without weighing up the floral overall feel. A perfectly rounded Blanc de Blanc carrying all the elegance and freshness of Chardonnay’s primary fruit character with subtle dose of well-thought winemaking refinements.
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Champagne Henriot Blanc de Blancs Brut : Vibrant & Approachable !
Score : 90/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $60 or 40€.
Tasting Notes
This Champagne wine comes in an elegant bright lemon-yellow color with solid medium intensity. It is upfront and expressive to smell. Distinct lime, roasted hazelnuts, and vanilla giving a charming appeal. The palate is also vibrant with a somehow grassy liveliness. Yes, there is lively acidity, good balance with just the right amount of discrete sugars. Rather outstanding finish filled with roasted nuts, nougat. There are surprising but enjoyable notes of foie gras, or somewhat cured meat character in the profile, suggesting this will go wonderfully with cured meat entrée or subtle pate and canapes. Medium bodied, this is a pleasing and approachable, fruity, spicy and a little grassy Blanc de Blancs with a joyful personality.
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Champagne Boizel Blanc de Blancs : Complex & Extrovert !
Score: 89/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $60 or 45€.
Tasting Notes
Disgorged in March 2016. The color of this Blanc de Blancs Champagne is of mid intensity, though quite solid with some gold hues. Mid-intensity nose as well, but well lifted by enjoyable ripe citrus aromas: pink grapefruit, ripe orange. Touches of creamy leesy characters give the aromatic profile a pleasing soft feel. A brioche cake scented with lemon essence! Flavors are powerful and intense. Loads of hay and lemon zest burst on the palate with great confidence. Good balance with a mellowed acidity giving it a smooth feel on a medium body. Honey flavors are delightful and reinforce the ripe fruit characters. A few drying phenolics to the finish for a slight savory end. A well-made, complex and rather extrovert Blanc de Blancs that isn’t shy of showing off its ripe fruit flavors, brioche, grassy, and spicy tones.
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Champagne Moutard Père & Fils ‘Champ Persin’ Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay Brut, Côte des Bars : Balance & Personality !
Score : 89/100
This is a Non-Vintage cuvée that retails around $35 or 30€.
Tasting Notes
This Champagne comes in a bright and shiny youthful lemon-yellow color. The aromatic profile is discrete and rather introvert. Light and floral would be the key features, with a touch of subtle lime and minerality. The palate displays presence and power, but more importantly a dominant zesty acidity. The latter underlines the wine’s strong lime flavors. It’s fresh and crisp, yet with solid body and concentration. A Blanc de Blancs Champagne sparkling wine leaning towards a crisp acidic and mineral style, on the restrained and primary side of Chardonnay, revealing the intact characteristics of the fruit with very little influence from the winemaking. Great balance, concentration, and affirmed personality.
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