Henri Bonneau owns 6.5 hectares of winegrowing area scattered across 13 plots. The largest one measures 2.3 hectares and is situated in the lieu-dit of La Crau. A further 0.4 hectares are located in Les Sénéchaux, 0.6 hectares in Grand Pierre, 0.75 hectares in Le Pointu, and one hectare in La Bigote south of the city. They are supplemented by a few smaller plots in the southern section of the region. The average age of the grapevines is 30 years, and the oldest vines were planted in 1964. As at Rayas, it is customary at the Domaine Henri Bonneau to pick the grapes at a late point in time. As an absolute traditionalist, Henri doesn’t like the Syrah variety, believing that it isn’t suited to Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Henri also mistrusts new hybrids and grapevines that are more than 50 years old. In his opinion, the ideal age of a grapevine is about thirty years. Although nobody – not even Henri himself – knows the exact proportions of the varieties of grapes in his definitive mixture, he estimates them at about 90% Grenache and 10% of a mixture of Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, and Vaccarèse. The grapes are only destemmed when the vintages are poor. They are slightly crushed, and undergo 15 – 20 days of alcoholic fermentation and maceration in concrete vats. At the beginning of this process, the wine is recirculated a number of times. The pressed wine is normally mixed together with the Vorlaufmost (preliminary must) and aged in 20 hl fourdres, demi-muids, and small oak barrels for 2 – 4 years (or longer, if necessary). It is refined with protein before bottling.