Champagne Franck Bonville is a testament to keeping something great in the family. It has been around for four generations, after Alfred Bonville first bought the family’s vineyard parcels in the early 1900s. Although the phylloxera blight had just left its mark on European vineyards not long before, his gamble proved fruitful. In the 1930s, his son, the eponymous Franck of Franck Bonville, established Champagne Franck Bonville after buying a wine property in Avize. In 1970, Franck’s son, Gilles Bonville, along with Gilles’ wife Ingrid, decided to join the family business and implement equipment and practices that would elevate their wine brand to new heights. They enlisted their son Olivier, a formal winemaker who possessed a degree in enology, and who had studied winemaking in other countries, to join them. Then, Olivier enlisted his son-in-law, Ferdinand Ruelle-Dudel, to oversee the operations of the 15-hectare estate, which is how the maison is run today. Quality increased with each generation, without sacrificing their reverence to expressing the unique character of their familial plots across the Côte des Blancs.

Though they have vineyard holdings in other Grand Cru areas of the Côte des Blancs, including Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, most of their land is in Avize. They only make about 10,000 cases per year, so they have cellar space that allows them to do extended tirage on their cuvées. Most of the wines undergo malolactic conversion and most of the wines are vinified and aged in steel before the secondary fermentation, creating the freshest expressions possible of fruit. The house-style beautifully emphasizes the distinct mineral character that Avize is so highly revered for, with a creamy opulence that makes it stand out further still. To have this 2016 Grand Cru, entirely from holdings in Avize, is a badge of honor for any good bubbles retailer. To have it at our incredible price? Well, that’s why we’re Last Bubbles!

This entrancing wine is clear evidence why the Bonville portfolio has become so revered and sought-after. Exotic and aromatic, with a delicate straw color and sensations of bruleed pineapples, green apples, and caramelized brown sugar awakens the senses, and then the salty sea air, pure, crumbled chalk, and a bit of banana come rushing in. The telltale brightness and verve of Côte des Blancs lends structure to this Champagne, finishing off with the signature gunflint minerality that so defines the village of Avize. I could quite literally drink this every day – but then there wouldn’t be any to share with you fine people! It is refreshing, sophisticated, fun, and full of surprises with every sip. And hey, if you need someone else’s opinion – I have it on great authority (as he’s one of my best friends) that a certain 100 pt. winemaker from one of Rutherford’s most iconic estates places this as one of his all-time favorite Champagnes. There you have it, folks… what more could you possibly want from a Champagne? It’s high time you try this spectacular Blanc de Blancs – I’m quite certain you’re going to love it!