Champagne Discovery

beyond the bubbles

Le Champ du Clos, Vallée de l'Ource - Champagne Charles Dufour

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

CHAMPAGNE AOC

34,300 hectares

319 villages (crus)

280,000 plots (lieux-dits)

15,700 growers

4,700 récoltants

390 négociants

125 coopératives

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

GRAPES

Pinot Noir 38%

Chardonnay 31%

Meunier 31%

Historic varieties <0.4%

Arbane, Chardonnay Rose, Fromenteau, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

BEST MODERN VINTAGES

1982

1985

1988

1996

2002

2008

2012

CHAMPAGNE IN NUMBERS

ABOUT US

We are Gita and Lee, two self-confessed champagne lovers for whom this effervescent drink has been a huge part of our lives since meeting twenty-seven years ago. Our first trip to the region was in 1999 to source bottles for our wedding. Since then, we have been visiting several times a year, have tasted thousands of champagnes and continue to discover amazing new producers, incredible wines and stories. We are immensely passionate about the top quality smaller domaines who tell a narrative through their creations, from vineyard to bottle. As well as the bubbles, Champagne is home to some excellent still white, red and rosés too; not to forget Ratafia and Marc de Champagne. This famous region is fortunate to be home to a myriad of World class winemakers, producing an array of diverse wines, we really are spoilt for choice. We love wine, we absolutely adore champagne!

Tchin tchin!

ŒNOTHÈQUE

CHAMPAGNE OF THE MONTH

Champagne of the Month
BONNET-PONSON
Petit Mélange

Our “Champagne of the Month” for December 2025 is produced by is produced by Cyril Bonnet, the 6th generation of winemakers at Champagne Bonnet-Ponson. Based in the village of Chamery on the Petite Montagne de Reims, the domaine now controls around 10.5 hectares of vines in Chamery, Vrigny, Coulommes la Montagne and Verzenay.

The family can trace their champagne-making roots in the village to 1862 when the domaine was created by Grégoire Bonnet. Successive generations continued to expand the business which included the need to move premises across the village as a result of Second World War bombing destroying the existing family cellars. The 1952 marriage of André to Monique Ponson – from a family of vignerons in Vrigny gave birth to the domaine Bonnet-Ponson and in turn expanded the family holdings. Cyril joined his father Thierry in 2013 after completing his œnology studies and working in the South-West of France as a maker of red wine. This also coincided with the domaine converting to organic viticulture, gaining biodynamic certification in 2016. Annual production is around 50,000 bottles.

“Petit Mélange” (small blend) is a non-vintage wine consisting of seven of the eight permitted varieties. Chardonnay Rose was reintroduced to the Champagne World this Summer; having last been used at the turn of the twentieth century. The base wine (50%) comes from the 2020 harvest with the remaining reserve wines coming from 2018 and 2019. Petit Meslier takes centre stage, accounting for 38% of the blend. The remaining varieties: Arbanne, Chardonnay, Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are in equal parts. The wine is born from plots in the domaine’s home village of Chamery, along with Vrigny and Coulommes la Montagne; the grapes undergoing their blending at the point of pressing where no sulphur was added. Fermentation and aging took place in a stoneware egg, bottling took place in May 2021 and the wine was disgorged without dosage in January 2024 whereby it was sealed with a natural cork. Alcohol is at 12% abv.

Tasted 16:50 Monday 10th November 2025 (root/fruit day in the lunar calendar)

Glassware: Chef and Sommelier – Reveal’Up ‘Intense’

Appearance: Clear, deep, lemon.

Characteristics: Pronounced intensity with primary aromas of honeysuckle, chamomile, apple blossom, green apple, bramley apple, red apple, gooseberry, pear, quince, Chiku, grapefruit, lemon juice, lemon zest, mandarin juice, lime, lychee, green mango, cantaloupe melon, passion fruit, apple compote, rhubarb and wet brick. There are secondary notes of chausson-aux-pommes, fresh bread dough, sable biscuit and brioche. Tertiary aromas include hazelnut dried apple, dried apricot, ginger, cinnamon, lime curd, hay and lavender honey.

Price at source €60.00

We have been enjoying Cyril’s wines for many years and this cuvée is both very different and very delicious. Balanced beautifully, you would be easily fooled into thinking the wine was dosed. Only a small quantity was made but this is a wine well-worth seeking out; you will not be disappointed as it is an absolute belter!!!