Petit Melange, 7 Cépages, Non Dosé

Wine description for Petit Melange 7 Cépages Non Dosé by Bonnet-Ponson

Colour & Appearance

Luminous straw yellow with golden reflections. The perlage is persistent, the mousse rather restrained and short-lived – a sign of maturity and minimalist intervention in production.

Nose

Here the full complexity of this seven-varietal cuvée reveals itself: the aromatic interplay shifts fascinatingly between yellow and red fruit. Peach, green apple and pear meet raspberry and redcurrant. Beneath lies a pronounced chalky minerality that recalls oyster shell and fresh seaweed. A herb garden of lemon thyme, lemon balm, mint and chervil lends the whole an untamed, almost wild freshness. This nose is variable, multifaceted – a Champagne that refuses to be pigeonholed.

Palate

Taut and crisp on the attack, carried by a fine minerality that completely fills the mouth. The terroir clearly dominates here. The texture is perfectly balanced, the mouthfeel harmonious and precise. The fruit presents itself lighter and more sharply defined than on the nose: tannin-driven apples with phenolic structure and vibrant acidity. In the finish the Champagne becomes even more pronounced, a fine bitterness joins in, followed by nutty notes and lingering herbal spice.

Finish

Lasting for minutes, characterised by the interplay of nutty notes and herbal spice. The fine bitterness remains present and underscores the uncompromising, natural character of this Champagne.

Terroir & Origin

The grapes come from vineyard sites in Chamery, Vrigny and Coulommes. The chalky minerality of Champagne decisively shapes this wine and lends it its characteristic tension.

Grape Variety & Vinification

An extraordinary assemblage of seven grape varieties, dominated by 38% of the rare Petit Meslier. The cuvée consists of 50% from the 2020 vintage, complemented by reserve wines from 2018 and 2019. Disgorged in January 2023 as Non Dosé (0g/l), without sulphur addition – a radical, purist approach.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Roasted scallops with salsify, white asparagus with citrus fruits or caponata with silken tofu harmonise beautifully with the mineral precision and herbal spice of this Champagne.

Special Features

An uncompromising, natural Champagne without dosage and sulphur addition. The use of Petit Meslier as the principal grape variety makes it a rarity with distinctive, wild character.