Reviews — Blanc De Noirs

Champagne is often discussed through familiar oppositions: Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noirs, Côte des Blancs or Montagne de Reims. Yet the most revealing comparison is not always between regions or grape varieties. Sometimes it is between two producers who use the language of precision, place, and individuality in entirely different ways.

Pierre Deville is a quietly compelling Champagne grower-producer from Verzy, one of the historic Grand Cru villages of the Montagne de Reims. The house works with a remarkably focused idea: old-vine fruit from a single Grand Cru village, indigenous fermentations, barrel vinification, full malolactic conversion, low Extra Brut dosage, and an emphasis on individual harvests rather than a generic “house style.” The three Pierre Deville Champagnes now available at Symbolic Wines—Rosé de Macération Grand Cru Extra Brut 2022, Copin Chardonnay Grand Cru Extra Brut 2021, and Copin Pinot Noir Grand Cru Extra Brut 2020—offer three very different perspectives on Verzy. Together,...