# Cramant 'Les Terres Des Buissons' Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs (2017)

- **Producer:** Champagne Bonnaire
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €72
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** nectarine, quince, pear, apricot, apple, peach, brioche, butter, toast, pastry, vanilla, almond, walnut, marmalade, honey

## About this wine

Champagne Bonnaire is a distinguished estate in the Côte des Blancs, currently managed by fourth-generation vignerons Jean-Étienne and Jean-Emmanuel Bonnaire. 'Les Terres des Buissons' is a single-vineyard (lieu-dit) Grand Cru Champagne from Cramant. The plot wraps around the base of the Butte de Saran, featuring deep, pure chalk soils. The vines here are among the oldest of the estate, averaging over 40 years of age. This cuvée represents Bonnaire's tribute to a more 'Burgundian' style of Champagne, emphasizing terroir expression and structural depth.

## Interesting facts

- The estate uses Kunekune grazing pigs in the vineyards as a natural, gentle alternative to mechanical weeding.
- The oak barrels used for vinification are crafted from wood sourced from the nearby Argonne Forest.
- Aged under natural cork (tirage liège) rather than crown caps, encouraging subtle micro-oxygenation during its long cellar aging.

## Food pairing

The voluptuous creaminess and toasted brioche notes from oak aging and lees contact perfectly complement rich, buttery, or creamy sauces. Meanwhile, the wine's high acidity and intense chalky minerality cut cleanly through the fat of noble shellfish and white meats, refreshing the palate after each bite.

## Wine making process

Harvested late to achieve optimal natural ripeness, the grapes are fermented entirely in old oak barrels (fûts de chêne), a departure from Bonnaire's typical stainless steel vinification. The wine undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation to soften the intense chalky acidity of Cramant. It is bottled under natural cork (tirage liège) for secondary fermentation, promoting gentle micro-oxygenation, and aged on its lees for 5 to 7 years. Disgorged in 2024 as an Extra-Brut with a very low dosage of approximately 1.5 to 2.5 g/L.