Blanc de noir is a winemaking technique where red grapes are pressed quickly to avoid skin contact, giving you a white or pale wine from red-grape fruit. Here, Moderato uses Bordeaux Merlot and puts it through vacuum evaporation to remove the alcohol, then reintegrates the aromas back in. The result is pale, gently sparkling, and citrus-forward. Lemon and fresh citrus come through on both the nose and palate. The bubbles are fine and the finish is clean without being hollow. There is some stonefruit depth underneath that stops it tasting like flavoured water. It sits in a useful spot: a sparkling option that is more interesting than most grape juice alternatives and feels credible at the table. Works well as an aperitif or alongside lighter food.