Winemaker Notes
Lichen's 2018 Blanc de Noir, made in the methode champenoise with 32 months en tirage, offers the classic characters of hazelnut and brioche in the nose, matched by luxurious mousse and a rich and full-bodied bubbly in the mouth. Put it in a paper bag at a Champagne tasting and it's easily confused by connoisseurs with top-tier grower producer Blanc de Noirs.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made from 100% Pinot Noir, the 2018 Blanc de Noir is winemaker/owner Doug Stewart's ode to bubbles, bright, dry and savory in wild strawberry, cherry, and a squeeze of peach. Given 32 months en tirage, it's rich, full-bodied, and bursting in brioche.
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James Suckling
Fine bubbles, rich fruit flavors and complex spices in this plush, well-balanced wine. A luxurious texture lifts white cherry, raspberry, ginger and brioche flavors, backed by vibrant acidity and a medium body. Very elegant and complete.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Surrounded by redwood forests and often blanketed in chilly, ocean fog, the Anderson Valley is one of California’s most picturesque appellations. During the growing season, moist, cool, late afternoon air flows in from the Pacific Ocean along the Navarro River and over the valley's golden, oak-studded hills. High and low temperatures can vary as much as 40 or 50 degrees within a single day, allowing for slow and gentle ripening of grapes, which will in turn create elegantly balanced wines.
The Anderson Valley is best known for Pinot Noir made in a range of styles from delicate and floral to powerful and concentrated. Chardonnay also shines here, and both varieties are often utilized for the production of some of California’s best traditional method sparkling wines. The region also draws inspiration from Alsace and produces excellent Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.