# Franck Bonville Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut (2019)

- **Producer:** Champagne Franck Bonville
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €80
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 9–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blossom, apple, pear, peach, lemon, plum, brioche, toast, butter, smoke, almond, hazelnut

## About this wine

Champagne Franck Bonville traces its origins back to the early 20th century when Alfred Bonville began purchasing prime vineyard holdings in Avize. His son Franck established the family house in 1937, bottling estate Champagnes following World War II. Today, the 15-hectare estate is managed by fourth-generation winemaker Olivier Bonville alongside Ferdinand Ruelle-Dudel. The producer specializes exclusively in Grand Cru Chardonnay grown across famous villages in the Côte des Blancs, including Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.

## Interesting facts

- The estate consists exclusively of 100% Grand Cru vineyards in the renowned Côte des Blancs region.
- Secondary bottle fermentation is done under natural cork closures (tirage liège) rather than crown caps.
- Managed by fourth-generation winemaker Olivier Bonville alongside his son-in-law Ferdinand Ruelle-Dudel.

## Food pairing

The vibrant acidity, saline mineral edge, and refined creamy texture of this Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs cut through rich butter sauces and highlight the natural sweetness of premium seafood and shellfishes.

## Wine making process

Fruit is harvested exclusively from Grand Cru single-village parcels in the Côte des Blancs. Base wines undergo alcoholic and full malolactic fermentation primarily in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, with select cuvées fermented in Burgundy oak barrels. Secondary fermentation in the bottle is sealed using natural cork closures (tirage liège) rather than crown caps to encourage micro-oxygenation. The wine is aged for over five years on fine lees in 19th-century underground millstone cellars before being disgorged with an Extra Brut dosage.