PRE-ARRIVAL – ARRIVING MID-DEC 2024

‘Les Belles Voyes’ 2016 95+WA

Brut Grand Cru Blanc des Blancs
Franck Bonville
Les Mesnil sur Oger, Cotes des Blancs

$124.99 on 3+ US Low (code: 3saves5)
$129.99 reg

• 100% Chardonnay
• Single Vineyard: “The Beautiful Path” 0.8-hectare parcel of 1960-planted Chardonnay in Les Belles Voyes, a hilltop vineyard in the grand cru Oger situated at the border of the grand cru Le Mesnil sur Oger
• Eight months aging with malo in used French oak Burgundy barrels
• Almost 8 years on the lees sur latte
• 2.5 g/L dosage
• Disgorged: February 2024

95+ pts Wine Advocate

Crafted from the oldest Chardonnay planted in the lieu-dit Les Belles Voyes in the commune of Oger, the 2016 Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Les Belles Voyes reveals a pure, complex bouquet of white fruits, vanilla pod, spices, spring blossoms and menthol. Medium to full-bodied and with a satiny attack, it’s layered and creamy, with a vinous core of fruit, enhanced by a chalky, pure and elegant finish. Vinified in barrels, which brings a lovely toasty, spicy aftertaste, it was disgorged with a dosage of 2.5 grams per liter.

This house in the commune of Avize (Cte des Blancs) produces bright, fresh and finely crafted Champagnes that truly impressed me. Olivier Bonville, who took over the family estate in 1996, has an exceptional ability to express the unique character of each commune and terroir, a testament to his meticulous work in the vineyard and the cellar. A strong advocate of aging Champagnes under cork for several years before release, Olivier ensures that the houses Champagnes are always marked by their finesse, purity and tension, displaying elegance and refinement.

95+ points – Our Tasting Note (2015): Light gold color, flush with tiny bubbles and a thick mousse. Layered from the start, air broadened the layers to reveal a pronounced nose of crushed seashells, smoky minerals, and a deep chalky character, juicy red and green apples, fresh spring peach and nectarine, cut wild flowers, a touch of mint, with a lovely brioche and biscuit note. The nose is wildly complex and a joy to go back to time and again as it blossomed in the glass. One of my favorite aspects of this wine is the texture: fine bubbles cascade effortlessly, caressing the palate, superb. Med+ acidity is perfectly enveloped in the med/med+ body, the pronounced flavors come alive and stream into a long, fresh, complex finish. An outstanding wine that delivers loads of pleasure, all 4 of us thought this was our favorite of the tasting (and a big winner again a couple months later from magnum at a dinner). This should only get better and deepen further with a little more bottle time.

The crown jewel of Bonvilles holdings is a 0.8-hectare parcel of 1960-planted Chardonnay in Les Belles Voyes, a hilltop vineyard in the grand cru Oger situated at the border of the grand cru Le Mesnil sur Oger. This cuveBonvilles only wine which sees oakspends eight months aging in used barrels before being bottled for its secondary fermentation. The chalk layer at this high point on the hillside is three to four meters deep (compared to around one meter in Avize), and thisalong with the texture-enhancing barrel regimenimparts a strikingly gripping, driving, billowing character to the palate. This release spent nearly eight years on the lees and was given a dosage of 6.7 grams per liter.