Franck Bonville : Brut Rosé Grand Cru

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Brut Rosé Grand Cru by Franck Bonville

Tasting

Colour
This Champagne reveals a deep pink hue with salmon highlights, clear and brilliant, enlivened by a fine, steady effervescence.

Nose
The full, expressive nose unveils aromas of fresh red fruits, cherry and raspberry, combined with floral notes of rose petal and subtle hints of pastry spices.

Palate
The palate is fresh and inviting, round and soft, driven by the chalky tension of the Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, which balances the fruity generosity contributed by the Pinot Noir from Ambonnay.

Food and Wine Pairing

This non-vintage Brut Rosé Grand Cru is a delight as an aperitif, particularly in summer, when its fruity freshness can be fully appreciated. It also pairs beautifully with a red berry salad at the end of a meal, in a pairing that echoes its cherry and raspberry aromas.

A Grand Cru Rosé Champagne by Franck Bonville, Combining the Chalk of the Côte des Blancs and the Fruit of Ambonnay

The Estate

Founded in 1959 in Avize, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, the Champagne house Franck Bonville continues a family story that began in the early 20th century with Alfred Bonville. Today led by Olivier Bonville and his son-in-law Ferdinand Ruelle-Dudel, the estate cultivates approximately 15 hectares of vines spread across the Grand Cru villages of Avize, Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. A specialist in Grand Cru Chardonnay, the house stands out for its sustainable viticulture, certified High Environmental Value, and its precise understanding of its chalky terroirs.

The Vineyard

The Chardonnay that makes up the bulk of this cuvée comes from the Grand Cru of Avize, the historic heart of the family estate in the Côte des Blancs, where chalky soils lend the wines a pronounced mineral tension. The Pinot Noir, meanwhile, comes from the Grand Cru of Ambonnay, on the Montagne de Reims, renowned for the richness and fruitiness of its black grapes. This meeting of two Champagne terroirs classified as Grand Cru, farmed according to the principles of sustainable viticulture adopted since 2011, underpins the distinctive balance of this rosé.

The Blend

This non-vintage Brut Rosé Grand Cru draws its substance from the 2018 and 2015 harvests, blended to create a harmonious profile balancing freshness and maturity. This approach, which relies on reserve wines, allows the house to maintain a consistent style from one year to the next, while showcasing the distinct personality of each of these vintages.

Vinification and Ageing

The vinification of the non-vintage Brut Rosé Grand Cru relies mainly on stainless steel tanks, complemented by work in barriques and demi-muids for the reserve wines intended for the liqueur de tirage and liqueur d'expédition. Malolactic fermentation is systematically carried out on the Chardonnay base wines, adding roundness and generosity. Ageing on lees takes place under cork closure, a distinctive feature of the house that contributes to the wine's aromatic complexity.

Grape Varieties

This Champagne combines 90% Chardonnay, from the Grand Cru of Avize, with 10% Pinot Noir, from the Grand Cru of Ambonnay.