michel gonet
Sophie Signolle-Gonet, Charles Henri-Gonet, & Antoine Gomerieux
les mesnil-sur-oger
côtes des blancs - champagne
story…
The Gonet family has a deep history in the Champagne region dating back to the 15th century when the family moved from the Beaujolais region to Champagne to work the vineyards. Champagne Gonet was established in 1802 and seven generations of Gonet’s have continued the family tradition of tending vines and producing high quality Champagne.
Much of what the estate is today is due to the hard work and progress that Michel Gonet has put into the family business. Beginning in 1973 Michel took control of the estate and wasted no time in beginning the process of increasing & modernising the the wine cellars all with the goal of improving the quality of the family wines. He also expanded the family holdings across Champagne, focusing on historically significant terroirs including Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Vindey, & Montgueux.
Sophie, Michel’s daughter, is now at the helm of the estate and continues the hard work and focus that her father poured into the family estate.
farming & Philosophy…
Though they don’t currently adhere to or consider themselves to fall under any particular category of farming, i.e. organic, biodynamic, regenerative, etc.., they are and have been developing a coherent practice of reasoned cultivation. Under these practices they work the soils gently, remove weeds but allow cover crop for periods of the year, all with the aim of reducing inputs and protecting the biodiversity of their sites. Different natural techniques are employed in the vineyards to wart off any pests or diseases, these techniques are always chemical free, and range the gambit between tried & true practices to more experimental.
In the cellar things are fairly straight forward, the use of both tank and barrel is widely used, as well as extended lees aging to coax depth and texture out of the juice. There are no additives say for small amounts of SO2 and the dosages are always on the low side.
In 2019 they started the process to obtain VDC certification (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne)
Vineyards…
The family holdings cover around 35 hectares of vines most of which lie in the villages of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, & Avize; but they also have vineyard holdings in Vindey just south of Sézanne, Montgueux just north east of Troyes and in Fravaux in the the Côte des Bars where their only Pinot Noir plots are.
Côte des Blancs
All Grand Cru holdings located in Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, & Avize | planted in the regions famous silty chalk soil and chalk subsoil
within Mesnil-sur-Oger they have some really important holdings in the single climats of Tieuls, Boulangères, Les Chétillons and Les Hautes Mottes. It is their parcel of Les Hautes Mottes, located between Les Chétillons and La Croix Collard, that makes up the entirety of their vintage Grand Cru Blanc des Blancs bottling; the first release of this bottling was with the 2011 vintage
Côte des Sézanne
There holdings lie in Vindey on primarily clay-limestone soils and small portions of sand in certain plots
Montgueux
Located south of the Sézannais and technically part of the Aube, this small area has more in common with its northern neighbors, the vineyards are on marly chalk with small fragments of flint.
Côte des Bars
In the village of Fravaux lies the families only Pinot Noir holdings, amounting to about 20% of their total vine holdings. Planted on subsoils of chalk with small fragments of limestone & flint, very much akin to the incredible soils of Chablis.
