Description & elaboration
The Les Belles Voyes 2019 cuvée from Franck Bonville is a champagne born from a historic plot in the village of Oger, on the Côte des Blancs. It is a champagne with notes of poached pear, marzipan and roasted pineapple, with a finely toasted signature imparted by ageing in oak barrels. On the palate, the texture is silky and mellow, ideal for pairing with fine dining. A cuvée crafted across three generations of a family house of human scale, whose confidential production makes it a rare champagne.
This Blanc de blancs comes from a single lieu-dit. The vineyard has belonged to the family for three generations. The vines benefit from mechanical soil cultivation and the complete absence of synthetic herbicides, preserving local microbial life.
The Terroir
The village of Oger is located on the Côte des Blancs, within the Champagne appellation. The official classification ranks this wine-growing village as Grand Cru. The vines extend across east-facing slopes, capturing the morning sun.
The Les Belles Voyes plot is home to old vines whose original planting dates back to 1960. The roots plunge deep into a chalky limestone matrix. This mid-slope position encourages slow, even ripening.
The subsoil of belemnite chalk, dating from the Cretaceous period, stores winter moisture and releases it by capillary action throughout the summer. These conditions support a gradual aromatic maturation. The deep root system draws a variety of trace elements from the rock.
Winemaking
Olivier Bonville oversees the blending of this pure Chardonnay. Pressing separates the cuvée juice from the tailles. The must flows by natural gravity before alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.
The clear wines (juice from the first fermentation, prior to ageing) are then transferred into 228-litre Burgundian oak barrels, three to five wines old. The wine undergoes its malolactic fermentation under wood (a bacterial conversion that transforms malic acid into lactic acid, softening the texture). This method brings roundness and a polished character to the final wine.
Regular lees stirring feeds the wine on fine lees, enhancing aromatic richness. The interaction with the oak staves refines the texture throughout the winter.
Bottling triggers the second fermentation in bottle, generating carbon dioxide in the cellar. The disgorgement date is December 2025. The estate seals the necks with a natural cork, followed by a post-disgorgement rest in the cellar.
The 2019 vintage
The year 2019 presents a contrasted climatic profile on the Côte des Blancs. The growing cycle was affected by spring frost episodes, from which the Les Belles Voyes plot, situated mid-slope, was partially sheltered. The summer recorded several heat wave peaks.
Temperatures exceeded forty degrees Celsius in July. The lack of water slowed berry development, concentrating the aromas within the pulp and skin. The harvest date was set for 19 September 2019.
The measured total acidity remains higher than that of 2018, guaranteeing the wine's future balance. The restricted yield of this vintage and the thick grape skins provide a structured backbone, well suited to long ageing.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
The wine displays an intense golden colour with yellow-gold highlights, bearing witness to its time in barrel. The effervescence forms a persistent bead of bubbles. The disc shows bright clarity.
Nose
The nose opens with notes of honeysuckle and poached pear. Aeration releases wafts of marzipan. The second nose reveals hints of roasted pineapple and a finely toasted signature imparted by the oak.
Palate
The attack is broad and mellow, confirming the silky texture developed by barrel ageing. The wine unveils pastry notes of frangipane. The mid-palate brings menthol touches, before a finish that lingers on a spiced thread.
Food Pairing Suggestions
- Aged Comté gougères
- Marinated scallops
- Oscietra caviar toasts
- Turbot with beurre blanc
- Pan-fried veal sweetbreads
- Poularde in cream sauce
- Aged Chaource
- Mountain Beaufort
- Mirabelle plum tart
The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion
Why I love it
The silkiness and intensity of this cuvée won me over. What moves me is this bouquet of honeysuckle and white fruit, perfectly balanced by a menthol and saline finish of great depth.
My advice
Serve this champagne at 8–9 °C in a wine glass to allow its pastry aromas and complexity to express themselves fully.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne transport. After receipt, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, away from light. Ideally in a cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not too dry place with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Les Belles Voyes 2019 cuvée from Franck Bonville possesses a remarkable ageing potential. The natural acidity of the vintage and 66 months of lees ageing give it a cellaring horizon of approximately fifteen to twenty years.
- Until 2029: the wine offers notes of fresh citrus, pear and honeysuckle.
- From 2030: evolution towards toasted brioche, frangipane and acacia honey.
- Around 2040: the emergence of white truffle and gentle spice notes on the finish.
Serving suggestions
We recommend a serving temperature of 11°C. Choose a tulip-shaped white wine glass, whose wide opening allows the barrel-ageing aromas to express themselves fully.
The wine is ready to drink upon opening. A twenty-minute decant softens the texture and disperses any slight reductive notes.
A story behind this cuvée
The 1960 planting symbolises the heritage of the Oger terroir. This longevity illustrates the estate's rigorous viticultural care. The old vines produce small, highly concentrated clusters. Also discover the estate's emblematic style in Grand Cru.
Also worth exploring: another vintage cuvée from the Oger terroir.
