Alexandre Bonnet Champagne House as we know it today goes back to 1970, in the stunning hillside village of Les Riceys, nearer and sharing more in common with Chablis than the rest of Champagne. With three Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) of Champagne, Coteaux Champenois and Rosé des Riceys, makes it unique in the world of winemaking. Its 838 hectares of vineyards make Les Riceys the largest wine producing village area in the Champagne region.

Today the estate is 47 hectares of vineyards, exceptional land often steep dramatic hillsides. The soils are quite different to the rest of champagne with subsoils mainly composed of marly or argillaceous limestone, helping to promote elegant and complex aromas while retaining a generosity of fruit. Alain Pailley has been chef de Cave since 1985, retiring in October 2023 and handing on to his deputy Irvin Charpentier who at just 30 years old has been "in training" since 2018. The estate became part of the Lanson BCC Group in 1998.

Vineyard: The vineyards have a variety of limestone and marls from the Kimmeridgian Jurassic era and climatically sunny semi-continental climate with cool nights at an altitude of 250m. A variety of Pinot Noir vine origins, both clone and massal selections from Champagne, Burgundy and the estate itself trained guyot and cordon de royat pruning techniques, giving yields 20% lower than average in Champagne. Average age of the vines: 30 years. The estate was certified in 2015 with HVE (high environmental value). Harvested from single vineyard 'La Forêt' on one of the steepest regions facing south, La Forêt is an intense and distinguished maceration rosé: Les Riceys Pinot Noir in all its glory.

Maturation: 80% in tanks and 20% in Burgundy barrels for 10 months, then in bottle for 2 years to develop the complexity of the wine.

Weather: The 2020 growing season and harvest occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic and the weather was favourable. After a wet winter, a warm latter half of March prompted the vines to start their growth cycle well in advance of a typical year. Budburst took place in early April and warm conditions ensured rapid growth. The weather in May was ok with flowering taking place early at the end of the month. June and July were cooler than average with some cloud-covered skies and rains. Due to the heatwave in early August, ripening advanced quickly but decelerated towards the end of the month. The 2020 season ended up with one of the shortest ripening periods ever, sugar levels were slightly below those of 2019 and 2018 but acidity levels remained fresher than in 2018.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Côte des Bar: Les Riceys (La Forêt)
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Lees Ageing: 2 years
Acidity: 4.03 mg/l
pH: 3.20
Alcohol: 13.26%
Closure: Cork sealed with wax
Production: 3,572 bottles
Drink: Now to 2025+

Tasting Note: On the nose, fresh and complex, with cherry and wild berry aromas, light notes of fresh almonds and white pepper. On the palate, intense and vigorous, with an attack of redcurrant. Tart finish supported by a raspberry aroma and prolonged by violets