Who makes it
Colette Bonnet works organic vines across Éguilly-sous-Bois and Noé-les-Mallets. The plantings include Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, with Pinot Blanc rare in Champagne. The range includes Noir Essentiel 2016, a Pinot Noir led wine, and Assemblage 3 Cépages 2020, a sparkling wine made from all three varieties.
Where it grows
The vineyards lie in Éguilly-sous-Bois and Noé-les-Mallets. At Noé-les-Mallets, the ground is Kimmeridgian, with argilo-calcareous marls containing a high proportion of clay. The geology is the same as that found in Chablis, linking the site to a limestone and marl formation familiar from another French wine region.
What they make
Noir Essentiel 2016 is 94% Pinot Noir and 6% Chardonnay. It has a luminous, dense straw gold colour. The palate is rich and fresh, with creamy effervescence, pulpy and crunchy fruit, and acidity marked by citrus and pomelo.
Assemblage 3 Cépages 2020 combines 54% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Blanc. It is the sparkling cuvée that brings all three planted varieties into one bottle, including the rare Champagne grape that distinguishes the vineyard plantings.