From one of Champagne’s most visionary producers comes a wine that rewrites the rulebook. Bruno Paillard’s Coteaux Champenois “Les Riceys” is a rare still Pinot Noir from a region better known for bubbles. But this isn’t your typical red — it’s vinified like a white wine, making it one of the most unusual and captivating expressions of Pinot Noir in France.
Hailing from the village of Les Riceys, located in the southernmost part of the Champagne region near the Aube, this cuvée benefits from a terroir rich in Kimmeridgian limestone and marl soils, not unlike those found in Chablis and Sancerre. The area is famed for its Pinot Noir — in fact, Les Riceys is the only village in Champagne entitled to three AOCs: Champagne, Rosé des Riceys, and Coteaux Champenois.
In this bottling, Bruno Paillard uses Pinot Noir grapes picked at perfect maturity and presses them gently, avoiding skin contact to produce a white wine from red grapes. It’s a delicate, slow process — a true labour of love — and the result is both thrilling and cerebral.
The colour is a shimmering pale gold, with just a whisper of pink hue — a visual clue to its origins. On the nose, expect floral finesse, crushed stone, lemon zest, subtle red berries, and almond skin. The palate is taut, chalky, and linear, yet surprisingly layered — offering a fine balance of citrus, salinity, and faint red fruit echoing the Pinot soul beneath the white winemaking technique.
This is Champagne without the bubbles — elegant, textural, and incredibly food-friendly. For lovers of high-acid whites, Jura curiosities, or serious somm-style finds, this is your next obsession.
Tasting Notes:
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Aromas: Crushed white flowers, lemon pith, oyster shell, wild strawberries, almond
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Palate: Crisp and chalk-driven with notes of white cherry, grapefruit, saline minerality, and a hint of redcurrant
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Finish: Long, linear, and refreshingly austere, with a faint echo of Pinot Noir spice
Perfect Pairings:
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Hokkaido scallop crudo with yuzu
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Goat cheese and beet tart
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Cold soba with dashi and daikon
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Steamed snapper with ginger
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Fresh oysters with lemon and mignonette
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Brie de Meaux or Chaource
Accolades:
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Decanter: “A cerebral and textural still Pinot from Champagne’s most expressive village.”
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Wine & Spirits: “A fascinating exercise in restraint and terroir clarity — Bruno Paillard continues to innovate.”
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RVF: “Poised between red and white, precision and poetry.”
Vineyard & Terroir:
Les Riceys sits at the crossroads of Champagne, Burgundy, and the Jura — and you can taste it. The Kimmeridgian soils lend razor-sharp minerality, while the south-facing slopes capture sunlight needed to ripen Pinot Noir with finesse.
Bruno Paillard’s vines here are organically farmed and hand-harvested. The gentle white vinification method — with minimal maceration and a focus on clarity — results in a wine that speaks of place more than process.
This cuvée is fermented in stainless steel and left on fine lees for texture. No oak is used, preserving the wine’s crystalline freshness and detail.
Why We Love It:
Because it’s rare. Because it’s beautiful. And because it reminds us that Champagne isn’t just about sparkle — it’s about soil, soul, and vision. This “white Pinot Noir” style from Les Riceys shows the ethereal side of the grape, refracted through limestone and purity. A wine for thinkers, sippers, and collectors alike.
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