Description & elaboration
The Blanc 2 Noirs 2021 cuvée from Simon Rion is a champagne from the Marne, crafted exclusively from black grapes vinified as a white wine. It offers notes of yellow fruits — fresh citrus — and golden pastry. On the palate, its vinous and full-bodied texture makes it equally at home as an aperitif or at the table alongside generous dishes. Only 900 bottles were produced, making it a rare and sought-after cuvée.
The Terroir
The vineyard stretches across the Petite Montagne de Reims area, renowned for the diversity of its hillsides. The soils are predominantly clay-limestone, particularly well-suited to black grape varieties. This geology retains water deep in the subsoil: the roots reach down far to draw on it, giving the grapes natural concentration and structure. Effective drainage across the plots prevents waterlogging, while the row orientation optimises berry ripeness.
Vinification
This cuvée follows the tradition of the Blanc de Pinots Noirs. Simon Rion blends 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Meunier, both hand-harvested. The two varieties are vinified separately: the Pinot Noir ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and concrete vats, while the Meunier undergoes an 8-month ageing in oak barrels — a method that brings roundness and aromatic depth to the blend.
Malolactic fermentation (the conversion of malic acid into lactic acid, which softens the wine) is carried out on the Pinot Noir musts, and deliberately blocked on the Meunier juices to preserve their freshness. The base wine undergoes no filtration or cold tartaric stabilisation, so as to retain the full texture and substance of the juices.
The 2021 vintage
In Champagne, 2021 was defined by unsettled weather. Spring frost episodes in April damaged early buds, followed by regular summer rainfall that increased disease pressure across the plots. The vines responded with low yields, concentrating their aromatic energy into fewer bunches.
Pinot Noir expressed strong aromatic concentration, supported by clay soils that retained moisture during the rare warm spells. Meunier benefited from a drier end to the season in September. The long growing cycle slowed the breakdown of organic acids, resulting in a wine with a taut, lemony freshness that is the direct signature of this vintage.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
The colour is golden, enlivened by brilliant silver highlights in the light. The bead is fine and steady, forming a persistent collar at the surface of the glass.
Nose
On the nose, intense notes of stone fruits open immediately. Warm pastry aromas quickly assert themselves, giving way on aeration to lemon zest and a hint of sweet almond.
Palate
The attack reveals a vinous, full-bodied texture, underpinned by notes of fresh morello cherry and toasted bread. The saline, sapid finish extends into a long aromatic persistence, where the vinosity accompanies the acidic backbone right through to the final caudalies.
Food Pairing Suggestions
- Comté gougères
- Smoked salmon toasts
- Pork pâté en croûte
- Roast free-range chicken
- Pork tenderloin
- Mushroom risotto
- Raw-milk Chaource
- Mirabelle plum tart
- Comté aged 18 months
The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion
Why I love it
I love the vibrant energy of this 2021. Its bouquet of red berries and white flowers won me over with its purity. On the palate, I was captivated by the interplay between a crunchy, fruit-driven texture and a wonderfully long, saline finish.
My recommendation
Serve this champagne at 8–10 °C in a wine glass. Its richness pairs beautifully with chicken in a cream sauce or Reims-style ham.
Practical Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75cl) in reinforced cartons specially designed for champagne transport. Once received, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, away from light — ideally in a cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not too dry place with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Blanc 2 Noirs 2021 cuvée from Simon Rion is built to develop harmoniously in the cellar. This is a wine with an estimated ageing potential of 15 years.
- Up to 2031: the wine will offer notes of fresh citrus and mirabelle plum.
- From 2032: the profile will evolve towards indulgent pastry aromas.
- Around 2036: tertiary aromas of gentle spice and undergrowth will begin to emerge.
Serving suggestions
We recommend serving this bottle at 10 °C, achieved by gradual chilling in an ice bucket to preserve the effervescence. A tulip-shaped glass concentrates the aromatic profile while allowing a gentle aeration that reveals the complexity of the cuvée. Avoid overly narrow flutes, which restrict the development of aromas.
A note about this cuvée
Simon Rion represents the fourth generation of winegrowers in his family. He runs the estate by isolating each lieu-dit to analyse ripeness plot by plot — a rigour that is equally evident in the Originel cuvée from Simon Rion.
In terms of aromatic profile, this 2021 vintage is reminiscent of a Réserve champagne with Pinot Meunier character. The winter pruning, carried out carefully in keeping with Champenois traditions, directly determines the concentration of the harvested bunches.
