CHAMPAGNE EXTRA BRUT GRAND CRU OGER BLANC DE BLANCS
GRAPE VARIETY
Chardonnay
TASTING NOTES
Franck Bonville's Champagne Grand Cru Les Belles Voyes Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Millésimé 2017 is a masterpiece of Chardonnay elegance from the Côte des Blancs, born from a historic parcel in Oger that embodies the finest terroir of Champagne. Les Belles Voyes, planted in 1960 mid-slope (mi-coteau) in the Oger Grand Cru, ensures Chardonnay grapes with consistent ripeness thanks to the ideal microclimate and deep chalky soils. This strategic position, linking Oger to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (symbolising the "belles voies" or "beautiful ways" in Old French), was among the first plots acquired by the family after phylloxera in the 1930s; the grapes yield a precise marc (8000 kg), pressed separately and fermented in Burgundy oak barriques to enhance richness and minerality. Now in its fourth generation overseeing 15 hectares across Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the house founded by Alfred Bonville in the 1930s adopts sustainable practices. Olivier Bonville vinifies this parcel in wood to add buttery complexity, making Les Belles Voyes a pure, age-worthy Blanc de Blancs with low dosage (2-3 g/l) and extended lees ageing. The cool, late 2017 vintage, with a sunny summer following a rainy spring, rewarded Chardonnay with optimal ripeness (4.3/5 on Wine-Searcher), imparting ideal mineral structure and persistence for this Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs vintage. On the eye, bright gold with fine, persistent mousse. On the nose, floral with honey, butter, vanilla, almond, and hints of lemon and chalk. On the palate, creamy and saline, with brioche, vibrant freshness, and a long finish. Perfect for refined aperitifs, shellfish, or poultry, this Franck Bonville Les Belles Voyes 2017 is a must for connoisseurs of Oger Grand Cru Champagne.