Champagne Alexandre Bonnet

The history of the Alexandre Bonnet Champagne house

A history linked to the commune of Les Riceys

Champagne Alexandre Bonnet occupies a special place, because the commune of Les Riceys is unique. With 844 hectares of vines, it has the largest wine-growing area in the Champagne region. What's more, it's also the only Champagne commune to hold 3 wine-producing AOCs: champagne, coteaux champenois and rosé des Riceys.

The history of the village of Les Riceys dates back to Gallo-Roman times, when the region was already producing grapes and wine. It had an eventful history, as it was claimed by both the lords of Burgundy and those of Champagne. There were also successive invasions from abroad.

The Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, and the King of France, Louis XI, fought the last battles of the Hundred Years' War. The village was totally devastated. It had to be rebuilt, but no buildings dating from before the mid-15th century survived.

Like almost all French vineyards, Les Riceys saw its vineyards destroyed by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century. However, all the winegrowers fought to rebuild it and make it the largest Champagne vineyard.

The Alexandre Bonnet Champagne House

The first vines of the future Champagne Alexandre Bonnet estate were planted by maternal grandfather Lucien Noble in 1934. They were then passed on to the Bonnet descendants. In 1970, René, Serge and Alain Bonnet created the Alexandre Bonnet brand.

Since 2019, Champagne Alexandre Bonnet has been managed by Arnaud Fabre.

The Champagne Alexandre Bonnet vineyard

The vineyards of Champagne Alexandre Bonnet extend over 45 hectares on the favorably exposed slopes of Les Riceys. The majority of the vines are Pinot Noir. This grape variety, considered the king of the Côte des Bar, enables the production of powerful, generous champagnes.

Pinot Noir is complemented by Chardonnay, sourced from Champagne's finest crus, notably from the Côte des Blancs. Finally, Pinot Meunier completes the grape varieties.

The wines of Champagne house Alexandre Bonnet

Pinot Noir is the majority grape variety used in Champagne Alexandre Bonnet blends. It is used to create Blanc de Noirs, Perle Rosée, Noir Extra Brut and the famous Vin Rosé des Riceys.

Rosé des Riceys 2017

The Rosé des Riceys cuvée is made exclusively from Pinot Noir, with vines averaging 34 years of age for the 2017 cuvée. Harvesting is manual and the grapes are harvested on the "La Forêt" locality, on a south-facing hillside with a 35% slope.

Rosé des Riceys is ruby-colored when young, taking on topaz hues as it matures. The nose is marked by fresh red fruit. The attack on the palate is frank, enhanced by delicate tannins.