Champagne Michel Gonet
The Michel Gonet Champagne House is a family property founded in 1802 by Charles Gonet. The Gonet family has been present in the wine world since the Middle Ages. Even then the Gonets exercised trading activity / wine brokerage in the Beaujolais region. In the middle of the fifteenth century the family arrived in Champagne and specifically on the white coast where they settled as farmers. However it was not until 1802 that the champagne house was founded.
At first it was small family property which got bigger and bigger with weddings and acquisition opportunities. Michel Gonet, who is the grandson of Charles Gonet did much to increase the family estate including the purchase of many plots and Château de Vindey in 1976. In 1973 he built the modern cellars in Avize. Thanks to him the property currently covers 37 hectares divided between the Côte des Blancs: Mesnil sur Oger, the slopes of Sézanne: Vindey those of Troyes Mongueux and the Bar sur Aube: Fravaux.
In 1986 the Gonet family, wishing to expand their range and produce wines of Bordeaux bought the Château Lesparre.
Today Michel Gonet vineyards are managed by his three children, Charles-Henri Gonet Frédéric and Sophie. Today is nine properties in Bordeaux: Château d’Eck (Pessac-Léognan), Chateau Haut Bacalan (Pessac- Léognan), Chateau Haut L’Evêque (Pessac-Léognan), Château Saint-Eugène (Pessac Léognan), Château Lesparre (Graves de Vayres & Bordeaux Supérieur), Château Lathibaude (Graves de Vayres & Bordeaux Supérieur), Château Haut-Brana (Pessac-Léognan), Château La Rose Videau (Graves de Vayres & Bordeaux Supérieur) and Château des Bordes (Graves de Vayres & Bordeaux Supérieur).
Focus on Sophie Gonet, owner of the House of Champagne Michel Gonet
“I was born here, in Champagne, but I started my professional career in international trade. I have an adventurous character of traveler. I need new experiences however I also need a base, a place to return to and that’s here. I went to work in South America in 1982. I returned to France in 1992 because I was pregnant and I would rather live out my pregnancy here with my parents. Thus I became involved in the family business. My father found that I was getting a little too ‘South American’ and so decided to acquire a property in Bordeaux and get me involved in the management of family property in 1986.
I have two brothers; Charles-Henri and Frederick. In general we can say that they care for the Bordelaises properties I of Champagne. ”
Where does the name of the property come from? Who is Michel Gonet?
“It’s my father’s name, a seventh generation winemaker line working in the Côte des Blancs since 1802. The ancestors were farmers in Bannes south of the Côte des Blancs and winemakers in Vertus, then a generation is based in Le Mesnil sur Oger and Michel stood at Avize in 1962. ”
If you had to describe what Champagne is to you in a few words, what would you say?
“My life, my pleasure and my goal. My goal is to make Champagne that is good, even very good, but if it gives me pleasure to me alone it has no interest.
We need the Champagne that gives pleasure to friends, customers and consumers while making me enjoy myself. It is a gay, festive product, a product to be shared among friends. It also conveys what I receive from my family, my children and my friends, as customers become friends, it’s a bit of us that we offer them in a glass of champagne. Each vintage is a little my ‘baby’. ”
What allows one to recognize Champagne Michel Gonet in a blind tasting?
“I have a very specific idea of what a champagne should be. This must be a wine that gives pleasure with it’s
character, it’s personality, it’s terroir and ageing. There must be a harmony, good balance and not be aggressive (a good balance between acidity, bitterness, sugar). It’s not necessarily easy to describe but I know what I want, what I expect of a Champagne. Even though it’s a fun time above all.
For diversity and expression of terroir we created white Champagne vintages by the white coast ”
Do you have plans for the Maison Michel Gonet?
” Yes ! We already have a nice wine tourism offer in Epernay at 37 Avenue de Champagne in Avize in our cellars, but I’d like to add a restaurant. My goal is to advocate for dishes that pair with my Champagnes. This is a short / medium-term project because I have the license. All I need is the chef. ”
Side story:
“My great-grandfather Charles Gonet was in the 1914 war as a nurse-medic in Verdun. During that war he developed a friendship with a coachbuilder from Champagne in Epernay Delaunais Belleville Father said. A few weeks after the birth of my father in January 1935 that friend came to congratulate Charles for his first little son. Unfortunately the child was dying and the family was not optimistic for the future, due to dysphagia (blockage of the esophagus). The friend who was particularly appreciative of champagne offered a drink anyway and made the child drink because he could not die without having tasted. Finally the divine drink solved my father’s digestion problem by unblocking the esophagus. Since then the friend always reminded him that it was thanks to him that he was alive, His parents had not even had the idea of giving him champagne at birth! He and Champagne had saved my father! ”
Thanks to Sophie, Charles-Henri Gonet and Michel for their warm welcome.
Choukroun Chicheportiche Jonathan
Champagne Michel Gonet
196 avenue Jean Jaurès,
51190 Avize, France
+33(0)3.26.57.50.56
