Michel Gonet À Avize

Michel Gonet is one of the families that shape the Chardonnay of the Côte des Blancs. The roots go back to 1802, when Charles Gonet founded his own champagne house, which long grew under the name "Gonet et Fils". Michel Gonet, the eldest of the siblings, left the family business to make room for his brothers. He moved to Avize with his wife Annie and built a new cellar there. His own brand began in 1973.

Family and generations

In 1986 Michel Gonet acquired Château Lesparre in Bordeaux. The house speaks of seven generations in winegrowing, first in Champagne, then in Bordeaux. The website names Sophie Signolle-Gonet, Charles-Henri Gonet and Frédéric Gonet as directors. Sophie Signolle-Gonet has run the champagne house since her father stepped back. In the winemaking she works with her daughter Diane and the chef de cave Antoine Gomérieux.

Vineyards, grape varieties and wines

Figures for the vineyard area vary depending on the source. Gault&Millau gives 36 hectares, mostly planted with Chardonnay. Other sources speak of 38 to 40 hectares. The plots lie in the grand cru sites of the Côte des Blancs, in the Coteaux Sézannais, in Montgueux and in the Bar-sur-Aubois. The Pinot Noir grows in Fravaux in the south of Champagne. Not every cuvée is therefore pure Chardonnay: the rosé contains 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir.

“The roots go back to 1802, when Charles Gonet founded his own champagne house, which long grew under the name "Gonet et Fils".

The range includes Les 3 Terroirs, a grand cru from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and the Cuvée Authentique. Les Hautes Mottes from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is a brut nature. The base wine is fermented in oak barrels and spends five years on the lees. Since 2019 the estate has been moving towards VDC certification (sustainable winegrowing in Champagne). Sophie Gonet sells almost the entire production as vintage champagne.

Aperitif Champagner

Visiting and tasting

The cellar and headquarters are in Avize, at 196 Avenue Jean-Jaurès. The reception house for guests, however, is in Épernay. In 2011 Sophie bought No. 37 Avenue de Champagne there, a neo-Gothic hôtel particulier dating from 1896. It is called Villa Signolle, after her married name. Guests can also stay overnight there in one of five rooms. Opening hours and tastings are best checked directly with the house beforehand, for example by email to avize@gonet.fr.