Agent Noir, as you can imagine, has a thing for these Blanc de Noirs.

Especially those that are 100% Pinot Noir, like this one. It happens to be the only red grape allowed to be grown in Alsace. In Champagne, Blanc de Noirs begin 3-4 times what these costs, and then some!

Remember that Baron de Hoën Gewürz we featured just last week? This is made in the same coop in Alsace, a stone’s throw from the famed Grand Crus. Talk about terroir. Bubbles this good, made in the champagne method, are getting near impossible to source. Looking in unusual places for them, like Alsace where the climate ever so closely resembles that of Champagne, pays off when you land one delicious as can be.

Did we mention the $22 price tag and 95 well-deserved points?!

Master of Wine Anne Krebiehl explains for Wine Enthusiast that “When the French want to drink fizz but not quite push the boat out to Champagne, they often opt for Crémant d’Alsace, the country’s most popular Crémant. It’s easy to understand why this is the case. Alsace, in Northeastern France, has made sparkling wines for more than a hundred years… They are pure, focused pours that make wonderfully enlivening apéritifs.”

Pure? Check! Focused? Check! Scrumptious? Hell, yeah! As “Decanter said, bring on the gentle rolling mousse and shuck those oysters.

You’ll need this one by the case!

95 Points – Decanter World Wine Awards

“Rich and complex nose of tropical fruit, vanilla custard and sweet spice notes. Gentle rolling mousse on the palate with rich flavours. Showing depth and longevity.”