Champagne is made from three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.  Where two of these grapes are red, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay is white.  This is where the term Blanc de Blancs originates from, meaning white of whites, these sparklers use only chardonnay grapes in their making.  As such, the character of Blanc de Blancs tends to be slightly different, attempting to display more levity and finesse than their red enriched cousins.  Since chardonnay only makes up a portion of champange, there generally is less to work with in the champagne region, making them more expensive.  This however, is not true for Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs Brut, which may hail from France, but is no champagne.

Sight:  Deep gold, with a moderate number of small bubbles.

Smell:  The nose is light, lemony, and vaguely bready.  There’s a hint of sweetness in the nose like sweetened coconut, but more fresh fruit like for peaches or grapes.  Whatever the smells are, the nose is incredibly subtle to the point it’s hard to find.

Sip:  There’s a moderate body and moderate acidity that runs throughout.  The bubbles are lively, and give a good amount of levity despite the richer body.  Ripe nectarines and lemons jump out on the tongue, and the acidity brightens up.  Notes of yeasty bread join in with elements of other ripe stone fruits.

Savor:  The ending leans into lemon pith, and carries in a few of the stone fruit notes.

Trader Joe’s Blanc De Blanc Brut has some fun elements of stone fruit and lemon driving it forward, but it lacks depth and clarity.  Flavors end up being muddled and lost in the mix of bubbles, acidity, and weight.  While it certainly is sparkling, as value level sparkling goes, Trader Joe’s Blanc De Blancs is playing below par.

Verdict:  Lemon, Bread, Nectarine, Pith
Price: $7
France