A plush pink bubbly is the wine treat of the day: The Blanc de Noirs from Gloria Ferrer.
I’m taking a quick break in downtown Sonoma, just a few miles from Ferrer Caves & Vineyards. Gloria Ferrer is the original sparkling wine producer in Carneros (established in 1982). And so the name of the wine pops out from the wine list, like the face of a hometown hero from a high school yearbook.
Ferrer’s legacy is Cava–Spain’s Ferrer family founded the Freixenet empire back in 1914–but their research into growing Champagne varieties in Carneros has been extensive. They currently have 17 different clones of Pinot Noir (and four of Chardonnay) to help create a diverse portfolio of sparkling blends.
Today’s lunch wine is one of Ferrer’s two entry-level sparklers. The Blanc de Noirs is a traditional-method wine based on Pinot Noir (90%). Our time in the City of Sonoma is short–there’s wine in those hills!–so we order a half-bottle to share.
It’s red-gold with a tall, foamy mousse cap and fine, energetic bubbles. Voluptuous aromas of pink cherry, raspberry jam, strawberry, cream cheese, almond biscotti, and extra-ripe apricot. Full in body with noticeable sweetness, it has a direct, fruity finish with strawberry crème and fresh Bosc pear. The bubbles are perfection, tickly on the nose and frothy on the tongue. A nip of acid at the end–but not much more–makes this wine dangerously easy to swallow.
We now pause this tasting for some label nerdery:
Is this a Blanc de Noirs? The French term Blanc de Noirs (“white from blacks”) refers to a white wine made from black grapes. But Gloria Ferrer’s version is definitely closer in style to a sparkling rosé than a sparkling white wine. According to bottle shots from Ferrer’s media kit, the wine is now being labeled as “Blanc de Noirs Rosé” (or, “white from blacks that’s pink”).
It’s a taxonomically confusing term if there ever was one. But that small marketing tweak is actually a step toward clarity: It acknowledges that Ferrer is peddling a massively fruity, blush-colored wine and not a pale, Champagne-style Blanc de Noirs.
Also, classically speaking, a Blanc de Noirs doesn’t contain any Chardonnay. But this being California, they do what they want. Ferrer’s house blend includes around 8-10% Chardonnay depending on the vintage, so it’s technically “white from blacks (and also some whites) that’s pink.” Have fun sorting this bottle onto a shelf if you run a wine shop!
But after just one sip, we’re beyond caring about semantics. Whatever you call it, a full-flavored Brut rosé is dreamy. It’s an ideal style for hosting, too. These wines agree with almost every palate, they’re great with salty snacks and cheese, and the combination of the pretty rose-gold color and bubbles just screams, “Hey, live a little!”
The Pinot Noir for Ferrer’s Blanc de Noirs undergoes whole cluster fermentation, blending, and then lees aging in bottle for 3 years. (It’s all about that indulgent mouthful of fruit and cream.) The wine is significantly sweeter (12.6 g/L) and rounder than the acid-driven, zero-dosage bubbly that everybody seems to be stuck on right now.
A throwback wine, for sure–but also just plain delicious. I loved this wine. It was ambrosial by itself, and even better with the spicy lamb saag and yellow dal from Taste of the Himalayas.
Bottle: Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs (NV) – 375 ml
Variety: Pinot Noir (90%), Chardonnay (10%)
ABV: 12.5%
Suggested retail: $19
My rating: 9.1
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own. (Hat tip to Paul from Edge of the World Tours for the restaurant recommendation.)
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