Bonnet Ponson

Family and history

The estate is in Chamery, in the Petite Montagne de Reims, where the Bonnet family has been at work since 1862. The growing story begins with Grégoire Bonnet and his son Jules. After the Second World War, the first pressing house was destroyed. Raoul Bonnet built a new cellar in the upper part of the village together with his son André. With the marriage of André Bonnet and Monique Ponson, the Bonnet-Ponson estate came into being. The sources give either 1956 or 1957 for this. From 1979 Thierry Bonnet carried the business on, and his wife Marianne joined him in 1983. Today Cyril Bonnet runs the house as the sixth generation. He completed his oenology diploma in 2006 and gained six years of experience at an estate in Fronton before joining his father in 2013.

Sites and grape varieties

The family holds 10.5 hectares spread over around fifty plots in Chamery, Vrigny and Coulommes-la-Montagne (all premier cru) as well as in Verzenay (grand cru). The Verzenay plots were added in 2003. Depending on the village and the site, the soils shift from sand through limestone to clay.

• Pinot Noir: 3.80 hectares
• Meunier: 3.30 hectares
• Chardonnay: 3.20 hectares
• Petit Meslier: 0.20 hectares

Approach and cuvées

When Cyril arrived in 2013, the conversion to organic viticulture began. Certification followed in 2016. Natural yeasts are used for the first fermentation, the wines are not filtered, and sulphur is kept to a minimum. Vinification takes place in steel, concrete and wood, so that the identity of each plot is preserved. Disgorgement comes after a fairly long ageing on the lees of between four and twelve years.

The range includes the Cuvée Perpétuelle, a zero dosage cuvée made from 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Meunier, as well as Seconde Nature from Chamery. Also in the line-up are Les Vignes Dieu, a Chardonnay from 58-year-old vines, and the Jules Bonnet. This line came about when Thierry Bonnet reintroduced ageing in wood. There are also still Coteaux Champenois wines. If you would like to visit the house or taste, it is best to ask the estate directly at 9 Chemin du Peuplier in Chamery.