Over 99% of all the planted grapes in the most iconic region of Champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, however, we managed to find a 100% Pinot Blanc cuvée from a small family farm on the edge of Champagne.

The sleepy hamlet of Buxeuil sits on the southern edge of the Champagne region, in the Côte des Bar. This is definitely the country and it's geographically (and culturally) very far from the glitz and glamor of Reims. This is where we discovered the small domaine of Christian Diligent, sitting just a few hundred feet away from the banks of the Seine.

There is no tasting room here. All of their wines are excellent–clean, transparent, elegant and yet also pleasingly rustic yet it was their very rare bottling of 100% Pinot Blanc that stood out. This special cuvée of 100% Pinot Blanc is primarily comprised of the 2019 vintage, and was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks for several months before being bottled and undergoing second fermentation. It was then aged for an additional 36 months on the fine lees before disgorgement and a very judicious dosage of four grams per liter–hence the “Extra-Brut” designation.

The Diligent clan has stood by their small parcel of Pinot Blanc for generations. This family has been living, farming, and tending vines in Buxeuil since 1637, so they have close to four centuries of generational knowledge when it comes to the local terroir. It was Christian’s grandfather, Georges, who began making his own wine, and labeling it with the family name back in 1958. Today they bottle almost the entire production themselves.

Why You'll Love It:

• Incredibly small production and an extremely rare 100% Pinot Blanc Champagne
  
  
• A brilliant, golden hue that is a bit deeper thanks to the Pinot Blanc
  
  
• Aromatics are a unique combination of Bosc pear, white peach, apricot, lemon curd, peanut shell, elderflower, citrus blossom, and wet stones.
  
  
• An elegant, medium-bodied palate with a very fine, soft mousse and a long, saline finish.
  

How To Serve It: 

• Serve it chilled, though not ice cold, in an all-purpose stem
• This is such a rare treat: Serve it with some fine passed canapes, or some high quality washed rind cheeses. It would also be a deliciously unique pairing with sushi.