Le Blanc

The wine

White pear and a soft citrusy lilt open French Bloom Le Blanc, with a clear mineral edge under the citrus — lemon as the flavor cue, steely rather than soft, Chablis-adjacent in silhouette. Substantial for a nonalcoholic sparkling: citrus and orchard fruit over real mid-palate body, soft bead, bright acidity, the glass holding weight instead of collapsing into thin fizz. That mid-palate substance is the difference — pear and citrus riding steely weight rather than floating on sugar alone. Crisp and bone-dry through the finish, the mineral close matching what a fine Champagne would aim for. Flute, a careful first pour, slightly cooler than usual Champagne service. Soft bead, bright acid, orchard fruit on steel: more glass than most alcohol-removed sparkling whites manage, white pear and citrus held by mineral rather than by sweetness.

The glass holds pear and citrus without sliding into soft-drink sweetness. That bone-dry mineral close is the reason to pour it again. Pear, citrus, steel, then a bone-dry mineral leave — pour it again for that close. Substantial middle, mineral exit — the shape of the glass.