Reims, December 2022
The Flacons supplement of L’Equipe Magazine for Saturday 17 December has a fine article devoted to Tsarine Blanc de Blancs. On the cover is an illustration by the artist Plaza del Carmen, which she describes as a portrait of a “Tsarine that is contemporary, sparkling, and elegant.”
The article, illustrated by photographer Valery Guedes, gave CEO Franck Coste an opportunity to talk about the role played by Isabelle Tellier, the House’s Chef de Cave and creator of the Blanc de Blancs cuvée, along with the history of Tsarine champagnes, recent developments, and Tsarine’s ongoing success story.
About Tsarine Blanc de Blancs…
Franck Coste, cited by Philippe Richard of Flacons of Champagne, says: “Over time, we have added high-end cuvées to our offering. And as a matter of fact, that desire for perfection is the force behind our Blanc de Blancs. On my arrival at the House, I felt that such a wine was lacking in our line. It was easy to convince Isabelle; she immediately threw herself into developing a champagne made from her best Chardonnays.”
Philippe Richard writes: “The cuvée is blended with Chardonnays exclusively from grand crus villages in the Côte des Blancs (Avize, Cramant, Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger) taken from the very fine 2018 harvest.” Franck Coste continues: “That year was rich, with a superb length on the palate. The wine will tell its story; its potential for development is very high, as is true of the great white wines of Burgundy.”
A dark bottle for Tsarine Blanc de Blancs
Of the very innovative bottle that holds Tsarine Blanc de Blancs, Philippe Richard writes: “The wine is concealed in a bottle black as jet — a color never before seen in the world of champagne. Many brands offer their 100% Chardonnay cuvées in transparent bottles [...] For environmental reasons, Franck Coste had the idea of going against market trends and using a totally opaque bottle, providing perfect protection [...].”
“A Blanc de Blancs is a fragile champagne, very sensitive to light, which can alter the taste of the wine in only a few tens of minutes. That’s why the other houses need to overprotect their bottles with colored films or outer packaging.”
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For more information on Tsarine Blanc de Blancs, see the tasting notes and food-and-wine pairings.
Tsarine Blanc de Blancs is available at finer wine dealers’ stores and on Chanoine Frères 1730’s online shop.