Champagne Franck Bonville
Champagne house in Avize, Côte des Blancs.
- Village
- Avize (Grand Cru)
- Region
- Côte des Blancs
- Cuvées in the guide
- 19
History: The house was founded in 1936 by Alfred Bonville in Avize, where he bought a press house; the first own bottled wine appeared after the 1959 harvest. After the Second World War Franck Bonville took over, followed by his son Gilles (1970s) who modernised the facilities with stainless steel. Since 1996 the fourth generation, Olivier Bonville, has run the estate, emphasising sustainability and plot-by-plot precision; since 2020 his son-in-law Ferdinand Ruelle-Dudel has also been involved.
Vineyards: The estate manages 15 to 19 hectares of vineyards, spread over 77 plots in the Grand Cru villages Avize (6 ha), Oger (5 ha), Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (2 ha), Cramant (1 ha) and a small plot in Ambonnay for rosé. The vineyards lie exclusively in the Côte des Blancs and are entirely devoted to Chardonnay. The crown jewel is the 0.8-hectare Les Belles Voyes vineyard in Oger, with vines planted in 1960.
Method: Franck Bonville is a Récoltant-Manipulant working entirely under its own management, with a team of 15 people. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks; for the prestige cuvées and reserve wines, oak barrels (2.25 hl) are used. The champagnes undergo malolactic conversion and age for at least 2.5 years sur lattes for the base wines, and up to 7 years for certain vintage cuvées such as the Pur Avize 2014. The process is certified sustainable (HVE), with limited use of pesticides and collection of rainwater.
Champagnes: The portfolio consists of eight Blanc de Blancs and one rosé, characterised by elegance and minerality. Important cuvées are:
- Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs: The base, a blend of Grand Crus.
- Pur Avize and Pur Oger: Single-village Grand Crus that show the specific characteristics of fruit/roundness (Avize) and fineness/incisiveness (Oger) respectively.
- Les Belles Voyes: An exclusive, single-plot vintage from the old vineyard, vinified in oak barrels, often zero dosage.
- Odyssée 319: A project by Olivier Bonville that explores terroir variation through plot-specific cuvées such as Le Levant (southern slopes of Avize) and Le Couchant (northern slopes).
- Rosé: A blend of Chardonnay and a small percentage of Pinot Noir from a friend in Ambonnay.
Cuvées by Franck Bonville
Importers
Franck Bonville is imported by: Ambrosia OnlyChamps, Best of Wines.
Where it is sold
Shops and wholesalers carrying Franck Bonville: Ambrosia OnlyChamps, Best of Wines.
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