Philippe Gonet

The history of the house goes back to 1830, when a Gonet married a winegrower from Vertus. Later, Charles Gonet married a winegrower from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Today, siblings run the house in its seventh generation. In 2001, Pierre Gonet and his sister Chantal took over from their father Philippe. Pierre is the cellar master and looks after the house in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Chantal is the ambassador of the cuvées and travels to sell them. With Hubert Gonet, Pierre's son, the next generation is joining the business.

Vines, chalk and way of working

The siblings farm 20 hectares of vines, two thirds of them planted with Chardonnay. Older sources still give 19 hectares. Le Mesnil lies at the heart of the estate, but Gonet is not only a Mesnil story. The Cuvée Signature, for example, combines the austere Chardonnay of Le Mesnil with riper, more generous Chardonnay from Montgueux. The estate is certified HVE4 and VDC, part of it is certified organic, and just under 7 hectares are being converted to biodynamics. The wines spend at least three years on the lees, well beyond the required minimum.

The cuvées

The range is broad and strongly focused on Chardonnay. At the top sits Belemnita: a grand cru blanc de blancs made exclusively from Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The name recalls the belemnites, fossils that are visible in the chalk walls of the cellars dating from 1783. Pierre Gonet created the first cuvée aged in wood in 2003: a blanc de blancs from Le Mesnil, aged for six months in half-muids. The Extra Brut 3210 has been made since 2009, with no dosage. The number stands for three years of ageing and two terroirs. In TER Noir, Chardonnay from Le Mesnil, Pinot Noir from Montgueux and Meunier from the Marne Valley each contribute a third. The Guide Hachette named the house "Vigneron of the Year" in 2024.

Visiting and tasting

Visitors can tour the 18th-century cellars, the cuverie and the press, at weekends by prior appointment. Tours are available in German and English. The address is 1 Rue de la Brèche d'Oger in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The house can be reached by telephone on +33 3 26 57 53 47.