RM Harvesting-Handling (RM Récoltant-Manipulant)
54 Acres / 220,000 bottles per year
120, rue d'Epernay
51530 Cramant (Côte des Blancs)
HOUSE
"A love story of Chardonnay."
Fernand Bouquemont, the maternal grandfather of Jean-Louis Bonnaire, made his first bottling there in 1932. It was the beginning of a great adventure undertaken by André Bonnaire, Fernand's son-in-law to develop the family vineyard which counts today. 'hui more than 22 hectares. Jean-Louis Bonnaire goes further. He gives his house champagnes respectful of tradition, but also adapted to contemporary life. Today Jean-Louis is assisted in the cellars by his son Jean-Etienne.
WINE ESTATE
Of the 54 Acres of vines, almost half is in Cramant and the vintage wines are generally 100% Cramant. For Jean-Louis Bonnaire, the cultivation of the vineyard must be carried out in a traditional way: respect for nature, the soil, the grape varieties.
VINIFICATION
"An experience, renewed every day"
Vinification at low temperatures in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, all the wines go through complete malolactic fermentation. In the Bonnaire cellar, the wood is reserved for the Variance cuvée.
The reputation of the house is also earned in the cellar. Jean-Louis Bonnaire understood this straight away. From the start, he took charge of winemaking, an area where he could apply the precepts of modern oenology. Anxious to preserve the know-how he acquired by working with his father, he always seeks the right balance between tradition and innovation. But the know-how would be nothing if it was not the result of a combined experience and sensitivity ... of this "memory of the palate" which marks the harmonious cuvées.
TASTING
"Bonnaire does Cramant as it should be, for 'sensualists'. My private cellar is full of bottles of Bonnaire."
Richard Juhlin, 'the largest champage specialist in the world'
Brut Tradition
1/3 Chardonnay - 1/3 Pinot Noir - 1/3 Pinot Meunier. Generous and elegant, this champagne features a large fresco of radiant scents of small wild flowers ... From the onset, the palate is frank, supple and remarkably rich. Its freshness is punctuated by a tangy hint of English candy.
Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
100% Chardonnay. Powerful and generous on the nose, it delivers heady and intoxicating floral scents ... This characterful champagne has natural elegance. It is full, voluptuous, warm and tasty. The Bonnaire classic.
Brut Rosé
1/3 Pinot Meunier, 1/3 Pinot Noir, 1/3 Chardonnay. 12 to 15% red wine from Bouzy. Exceptional champagne, a coral pink color, the robe is quite sustained and satiny. Rich, supple, feline ... this champagne offers classicism marked with a certain daring. To discover.
Blanc de Blancs Brut Zéro
Champagne 100% Chardonnay. From the 1960s, the Bonnaire house was one of the first to respond to the demand of large Parisian wine merchants for "non-dosed". The “non-dosed” Brut Blanc de Blancs reveals slightly marked floral notes. Natural, because without added sugar, it is very fresh.
Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Millésime 2004
"Shiny gold-green, with a delicate pearl. The aromas, finely etched, of lime, lemongrass, chalky minerals and honeysuckle have amazing energy. Firm, focused and dry, offering mineral citrus and green apple flavors complexified by white pepper and hints of quinine. The finish is racy and surprisingly pure, with strong citrus and mineral flavors paired with excellent persistence." - 92/100, Josh Raynolds - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, November 2009.