The Bonnet-Ponson champagne winery is located in Chamery, a Premier Cru location on the Petit Montagne de Reims with ownership on the Petit Montagne and in the Grand Cru vineyards in Verzenay. The father was one of the first in town to work organically but was not yet certified. His son Cyril has returned from the wine world after years of wandering and has consistently taken the next steps towards certification. Fully certified, there has also been a radical change in the style of its champagnes. Whereas these used to be more classic to conservative, they are now slimmed down. Little or no dosage, no filtration, fermentation with natural yeasts, minimal sulphur. So the Seconde Nature clearly goes in the direction of "natural champagne". But even with the more classic champagnes, the new line is becoming more and more popular and offers a sensational price-benefit ratio.

LISTEN TO NATURE

The love for our land, the search for expression in our wines; these core values of our philosophy lead us to work with respectful and sustainable methods in our vineyards and in the cellar.

Since 2013, all our vineyards have been cultivated organically (with certification), making a commitment to a culture free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers.

Protection against rot is provided with natural fungicides such as sulphate and copper sulphate as well as with herbal preparations that are made on the winery with local plants (nettle maceration, horsetail infusion).

The aim is to help the vines fight diseases with their own natural defenses instead of curing the disease themselves with the help of chemicals. To achieve this, it is essential to maintain a stable and dynamic ecosystem in our plots; when microorganisms, plants and animals work together, they are able to balance each other out.

THE VINIFICATION

From harvest on, every step of the winemaking process is thought through in order to preserve the aging potential of the wine and to reveal its natural quality through gentle and gentle methods.

The grapes are pressed in batches or in groups and are gravity fed into the decantation vat. The next day they are pumped around and quickly fermented with our own yeast culture that we previously developed from the grapes from our vineyards. This technique was developed at the winery to limit or avoid the use of sulphites in winemaking.

The choice of wine container depends on the origin of the grapes and their ability to ripen. About 30% of our wines are aged in French oak barrels (228l and 400l), the remaining 70% are fermented and aged in stainless steel or concrete vats.

THE STRENGHT IS TO BE FOUND IN SERENITY

Most of our wines do not go through filtration or fining. Their clarification occurs naturally during winter, when the temperature in the basement drops. Whether in the barrel or in the vat, the wines remain on their layers for at least 7 months before bottling in order to build up their structure and refine their taste.

Every year 35 to 45 % of the new harvest are added to the reserve for a longer maturation in our cellar barrels. This “taste memory”, which André Bonnet launched 50 years ago, is the basis for the identity of our Cuvées Non Vintages. It contains a tiny fraction of each previous vintage that is blended using the Solera method in order to maintain its complexity and consistency over the years.

After bottling and the mousseux in the freshness of our caves, each bottle ages for at least 36 months, the cuvées of the vintages for up to 10 years. The disgorgement, which is still carried out in-house by Cyril Bonnet and his team, gives the Bonnet-Ponson champagne the finishing touch, along with a touch of the in-house “Liqueur d'expédition”.