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Grower Champagne Bonnet-Ponson, Premier Cru, Brut Rosé

Champagne, France NV (750mL)
$39.00
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SommSelect

Grower Champagne Bonnet-Ponson, Premier Cru, Brut Rosé

Not many of us get to drink world-class rosé Champagne on the regular: It is rare and expensive by nature, and thus an infrequent member of most people’s rotations. But on those occasions when we do drink some, we’re consumed with a mix of vexation and resolve. How can we get more of this stuff into our lives? It is so unique, so versatile with food, such a perfect wine experience in so many ways—powerful, refreshing, evocative, aromatic—that we simply must find a way to get it more playing time. Right?
If you agree, then this wine is most definitely for you. Bonnet-Ponson is a récoltant-manipulant (aka “grower champagne” producer) in the Premier Cru village of Chamery, in the Montagne de Reims sub-region, and their importer is kind enough to alert us when a fresh batch of their bright and delicious Brut Rosé lands in the US. It’s the SommSelect version of sounding the sirens in a firehouse, because the wine is that good—perfumed, bright, deeply flavorful, and somehow, inexplicably, priced well.
We offered Bonnet-Ponson last year and our customers have been clamoring for more ever since. At the helm of this small family estate is Thierry Bonnet, who is joined by his talented son, Cyril. Six generations of the Bonnet-Ponson family have handcrafted fine Champagne since Grégoire Bonnet founded the estate in 1862. Today, their meticulously tended holdings span 10.5 hectares in three Premier Cru and two Grand Cru villages, which Thierry and Cyril farm with strictly organic principles. The conscientious care in the vineyards makes a pure sense of place readily evident in the glass.
 
Each component of this elegant cuvée is derived from Premier Cru vineyards that average 35 years of age, but its heart is a parcel called “Le Clos,” a Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier vineyard in the Bonnet’s home village of Chamery. The soils here are a mix of compact sand mixed with clay and limestone, and yields are naturally low, lending exceptional concentration. The blend is 40% Pinot Noir, 35% Meunier, and 25% Chardonnay sourced from the hilltop of Vrigny, which lends chalky minerality and bright notes of citrus. Both the red and white ‘base’ wines are aged for about 7 months in large oak casks, after which they are blended and bottled unfiltered for the second fermentation. The NV Brut Rosé is aged an impressive 36-48 months on its lees before it is disgorged and given a (relatively low) 7 grams/liter of dosage. About 15% of the cuvee is comprised of ‘reserve’ wines from older vintages.

In the glass, Bonnet-Ponson’s Brut Rosé exhibits a rose petal-pink core with a high concentration of swiftly swirling bubbles. The fragrant perfume reveals aromatics of bright strawberry, a touch of pomegranate, green plums, wet rose petals and a kiss of lavender and spice over subtle notes of brioche and crushed chalk. The medium-bodied, harmoniously dry palate offers bright acidity and intense chalk-driven minerality that evolves into a display of strawberry, red plum, pomegranate and kaffir lime that is simultaneously filled with personality and supple freshness. Serve it nicely chilled (45-50 degrees) in open-mouthed flutes or all-purpose white wine stems, either as an enchanting apéritif or a pairing partner for any number of first courses. Try it with this delicious Marinated Beet and Grilled Goat Cheese starter for a pro pairing. Grab as much of this wine as you can afford—everyone deserves to drink rosé Champagne more often!

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Country
France
Region
Champagne
Sub-Region
FranceMontagne de Reims
Soil
Chalk
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
40% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 25% Chardonnay
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
Neutral
TEMP.
45
Glassware
Open-Mouthed Flute or White Wine
Drinking
Now-2025
Pairing
Beets & Goat Cheese

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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