Our history
A HISTORY OF MEN AND WOMEN: WINE GROWERS SINCE 5 GENERATIONS
honorineBretons of origin, the Bonfils are sailors and men of soil. In 1870, Joseph Bonfils, a young teacher, challenged, like many others, the regime in place and took part in the Paris Commune. He is forced into exile in Algeria, where he meets his future wife, Honorine Dorvaux, an Alsatian descendant.
In Mostaganem, a small town located on the Mediterranean coast not far from Oran, the climate is harsh, the soil is hard but the plateau is fertile because the river waters the crops generously. It is Honorine at the time which launches the agricultural farm with many vines. She crashes tirelessly, not knowing that she is growing the legacy of the Bonfils.
Regd-pere
This prosperous period stalled when Algeria declared independence in 1962. The land planted by Honorine, the first woman to receive the Medal of Agricultural Merit in 1875, had to be hurriedly vacated. and the lands are nationalized and the Bonfils lose everything, forced to return to France.
Famille_bonfils_1929
Grandson of Abel, Jean-Michel Bonfils from childhood bathes in the vineyards and cellar of his father. He follows his parents who settle near Béziers. The construction of Bonfils Vineyards is written slowly over the years and the strength of the arms. Initially, he bought 6 hectares of vineyards in Languedoc with a loan of repatriate and "good words". This is the Domaine du Lirou. Very quickly, it adds a farm of 10 hectares and buys new plots as and when the opportunities arise. In 1978, he bought the Domaine de Cibadiès in Capestang in the Hérault, now the headquarters of Bonfils Vineyards.
Bonfils
In the early 1990s, his son Laurent, then 25 years old and recently graduated from Dauphine, took over the destiny of Domaine de Cibadiès. With the help of his older brother, Olivier, he decides to promote production and begins selling in bottles. It will be Jérôme's turn to join the company. Three boys in the vineyards, each son a field and own prerogatives. Jérôme watches over the vineyard, Olivier on vinification and Laurent manages the marketing and management of Bonfils vineyards. Complementarity, shared responsibility, willingness to undertake ... more than a family united by hardships and challenges, the Bonfils form a real team and always make the big decisions to four. A true family spirit!
Family portrait
Winemakers from father to son since 1870, Jean-Michel Bonfils and his three sons, Olivier, Laurent and Jérôme, are today at the head of Vignobles Bonfils, the largest owner of Languedoc-Roussillon.
• Jean-Michel, who holds his father's unconditional love of the soil, has passed it on to his sons. Today, he has only one idea in mind: that the vineyard is of excellent quality for the next 20 years. He has replanted more than 450 hectares of vines in 10 years.
• Laurent is in charge of the day-to-day management of the company. Its ambition is to develop Bonfils Vineyards in France and abroad with wines that will appeal to all consumers. He also wants to offer a high-end wine tourism offer.
• Olivier watches over winemaking for wines more and more in line with the Bonfils Vineyard philosophy: an offer focused on quality at the best price.
• Jérôme looks after the vineyard and ensures the smooth running of operations with the main mission of securing grape supplies and ensuring optimal quality.
Vineyard
With 17 wine estates, more than 1800 hectares of vines, the Bonfils remain winemakers deeply attached to their land and the expression of their terroirs.
The family properties, located on exceptional terroirs, benefit from particularly well-exposed slopes. To make the most of these natural conditions very favorable to the production of quality grapes, the Bonfils family has imposed a draconian specifications: soil analysis, choice of grape varieties, size, plot selection, harvest "in green" , leaf stripping, control of yields and maturity of berries, night harvest to prevent clusters from suffering from heat or manual harvesting in certain areas.
"There are no great wines without a nice vineyard
and without respect for the land that feeds him "
Jean-Michel Bonfils
The vines are the subject of all the care at the Bonfils who have always favored the fight "reasoned" and limited to the maximum their impact on the environment. The regular attention paid to the vineyard, the renewal of certain plots with about thirty hectares replanted each year, the monitoring of soils and their ecosystem allows them to provide the most appropriate responses and develop authentic wines.
Their philosophy of the vineyard is to reflect as accurately as possible all the nuances of their terroir from vineyards grown in perfect harmony with nature.
At the same time, Bonfils vineyards are developing the AOC range, which, given the specificities of each of them, requires special attention, know-how and respect to the letter of the specifications of each appellation. Without neglecting the IGP however with their incredible diversity and their lot of precautions: drip irrigation, soil maintenance, care granted to the vineyard ...
Winemaker
In order to make the most of the fabulous potential of its different terroirs, the Bonfils family has surrounded itself with a team of oenologists with a profile and multiple and complementary skills.
These real specialists in the terroir and vinification guide the vineyard, lead the harvest and manage all the stages of fermentation and wine aging.
They also closely follow current wine news and adapt their planting, vinification or bottling techniques as needed to maintain an optimal level of quality.
For several years now, Vignobles Bonfils have periodically supported the services of two external oenologists who bring their advice, a fresh eye and their vision of the market.
