Domaine Alexandre Bonnet is one of the most iconic wineries in the Champagne region of France, located in the Côte des Bar sub-appellation of Aube, renowned for its exquisite interpretation of Pinot Noir. The winery is one of the largest estates in the Les Riceys region, owning 47 hectares of vineyards spread across 37 individual plots, while also expanding its vineyard area through select leases.
The winery is unique in that it is the only place in France to produce three AOC wines from the same grape variety: Champagne, Coteaux Champenois, and Rosé des Riceys.
1934: Lucien Noble (René Bonnet's father-in-law) planted the first grapes, laying the foundation for the family's winemaking.
1973: René Bonnet, along with his two sons, Serge and Alain, officially established the "Champagne Alexandre Bonnet" brand, carefully selecting the best south- and southeast-facing slopes for planting vines.
1996: Meeting Bruno Paillard and Philippe Baijot injected new vitality into the winery; Francois Lange was appointed General Manager, retaining the expertise of all internal staff.
1998: Acquired by the Lanson-BCC Group, but maintaining the family's independent spirit and traditional craftsmanship.
August 2019: Arnaud Fabre took over as President of the winery, committed to upholding the collective commitment and developing this unique terroir.
Region
Les Riceys is located at the southernmost tip of the Champagne region, at the border of Champagne and Burgundy. Historically, it oscillated between the two appellations until 1927 when it was officially recognized as an equal partner of the Champagne region.
The soil is primarily a mixture of Kimmeridgian limestone and clay, similar to that of Chablis Grand Cru vineyards. The vines' root systems can reach depths of up to 4 meters, absorbing deep-seated moisture and trace elements, imparting a unique minerality to the wines. The diverse slopes (mainly south- and southeast-facing) create rich microclimates, promoting slow ripening and developing complex aromas and delicate tannins.
The climate is slightly warmer than in the northern Champagne region, allowing Pinot Noir to reach optimal ripeness. The unique microclimate allows Pinot Noir to achieve its best maturity while maintaining refreshing acidity.
Core Variety: Pinot Noir is the winery's flagship variety, comprising the vast majority of the planted area, exhibiting a "captivating balance of fruit aromas, spices, and acidity and tannin structure." Smaller quantities of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc are also planted for Blanc de Blancs Champagne.
La Foret is the flagship plot of Château Alexandre Bonnet, and one of the core plots where the estate first selected its Pinot Noir vines. Planted in 1974, these old vines are a defining characteristic of the estate's terroir, possessing highly distinctive features:
1. Location: Located on a gentle southeastern slope from the village of Les Riceys, the plot's name, "La Forêt," means "forest." The surrounding woodlands create a mild microclimate, reducing the impact of extreme weather and extending the grape ripening period.
2. Soil: Pure Keemurite limestone with shallow topsoil, the same soil source as the Chablis Grand Cru vineyards. The root system reaches depths of up to 4 meters, absorbing deep minerals and giving the wines a distinct mineral structure.
3. Vine Age: The vines used for the 2020 vintage were 46 years old. Older vines result in lower yields, higher fruit concentration, more concentrated fruit aromas, and a stronger expression of the terroir.
4. Cultivation and Management: Adhering to HVE3 high environmental value certification standards, herbicide-free, hand-pruning (single Curie method), manual harvesting and picking, with yield controlled at 8000 liters/hectare (significantly lower than the Champagne region average).
Winemaking
Continuing the winery's winemaking approach that blends Champagne tradition with the single-vineyard philosophy of Burgundy, the entire process is handcrafted with minimal intervention to preserve the terroir of the La Forêt plot to the greatest extent possible:
1. Harvesting, Picking, and Pressing: Each bunch is harvested and picked by hand, selecting undamaged, fully ripe grapes. The entire bunch is gently pressed (a key step in making white Champagne from Pinot Noir), using only the first press's free-run juice (Cuvée). The yield is controlled to 600L of juice per 1000kg of grapes to ensure purity.
2. Fermentation: Low-temperature fermentation in stainless steel tanks (15-18℃) to prevent the loss of fruit aromas. Malolactic fermentation is avoided after fermentation, preserving the natural, refreshing acidity.
3. Blending: No terroir blending (single-vineyard vin), made solely from the 2020 vintage of Pinot Noir free-run juice from the La Forêt plot, maximizing the expression of the single terroir.
4. 5. Secondary Fermentation in Bottle: After adding a proprietary yeast solution, the wine is bottled and undergoes secondary fermentation in the winery's temperature-controlled underground cellar (12°C). The yeast undergoes autolysis for 5 years, imparting complex toasty yeast aromas to the wine.
6. Disgorging and Topping Up: Disgorging is done by hand, and only a small amount of base wine (without additional sugar) is added during topping up to maintain the crisp, dry style. After disgorging, the wine is bottle-aged for 6 months to allow the wine and topping up to fully blend.
