Michel Gonet - 'Vindey-Montgueux Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs' - Champagne - Blanc de Blancs - Montgueux, Champagne, FR - NV

Notes from the Winery/Importer

GRAPE: Chardonnay VILLAGES: Montgueux and Vindey STYLE: Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs VINTAGE: Non-vintage TERROIR: Montgueux, near Troyes, has south and southeast exposures with marl, chalk, and flint soils, producing Chardonnay that is mineral and round even in youth. Vindey, on the Sézannais hillsides, has clay-limestone soils with sandy elements, yielding floral, fresh, finely textured Chardonnay. VINIFICATION: Vinified and aged in tank; malolactic fermentation blocked. AGING: Extended aging sur lattes to preserve purity and freshness. DOSAGE: 2 g/L.

• Grand Cru Imports

  Notes on the Producer

  Champagne Michel Gonet represents a new chapter for one of the Côte des Blancs’ most historically important families. Long admired for its exceptional vineyard holdings yet quietly understated in its presentation, the domaine is now entering a new era. Alongside mother-and-daughter team Diane and Sophie Gonet, the family has welcomed a new Chef de Cave, Antoine Gomérieux, and embarked on a philosophical partnership with Marco Pelletier. Marco likes to refer to Michel Gonet as “the sleeping beauty of Champagne,” acknowledging the estate’s extraordinary holdings and the opportunity to better reveal their potential. This collaboration marks a renewed focus on precision, terroir isolation, and restrained winemaking.
  Gonet is a very old name in Champagne. The family moved to Champagne from the Beaujolais in the 15th century and worked in the vineyards before establishing a Champagne house in the early 1800s. Each subsequent generation helped lay a foundation for a successful domaine with the most recent patriarch, Michel Gonet, enlarging the cellars in Avize and refocusing their winemaking in the 1970s.
  The total holdings are around 40 hectares, consisting mostly of Chardonnay on the Côte des Blancs. The vines are located in the villages of Le Mesnil sur Oger, a little further south, in Vindey on the Sézannais hillsides, and also near Troyes, on the slopes of Montgueux.
  Michel Gonet’s vineyard holdings total approximately 40 hectares, predominantly planted to Chardonnay, with the cuvées in our portfolio sourced from roughly 10–12 hectares of the estate’s most expressive sites.
  The domaine’s identity rests on three distinct terroirs:

• Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (Grand Cru, Côte des Blancs):
• The spiritual home of the estate, known for deep, pure chalk soils that produce Chardonnay of tension, salinity, and remarkable longevity. Key historic parcels such as Les Hautes Mottes, neighboring Les Chétillons and La Croix Collard, form the backbone of the domaine’s most serious wines.
• Montgueux (Aube):
• Situated just outside Troyes at the southernmost point of the Côte des Blancs, Montgueux benefits from south and southeast exposures. Marl chalk and flint soils yield Chardonnay that is rounder and more mineral-driven, even in youth.
• Vindey (Sézannais):
• Clay-limestone soils with sandy elements define this hillside terroir, producing floral, finely textured Chardonnay with vibrant freshness and lift.
  Together, these sites offer a rare spectrum of chalk expressions across Champagne.
• The Gonet team is actively developing a unified, estate-wide approach to sustainable viticulture. Practices emphasize soil health, cover cropping, reduced inputs, and biodiversity preservation across all parcels. Special attention is paid to maintaining surrounding forests, ecological buffer zones, and responsible water management.
• In 2019, the domaine began reconversion toward VDC certification (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne), formalizing their commitment to long-term environmental stewardship and vineyard resilience.
  Vinification at Michel Gonet is intentionally restrained, with an emphasis on preserving site identity and natural structure.
  Fermentation: All wines are fermented in stainless steel, allowing purity of fruit and mineral character to take precedence.
  Malolactic Fermentation: Generally blocked to maintain tension and freshness, with exceptions made for select Grand Cru wines where malolactic fermentation brings balance and depth.
  Élevage: Wines age extensively on lees, often well beyond minimum requirements, and are typically disgorged only just before release to preserve vitality.
  Selective cuvées explore alternative approaches—such as barrel fermentation or extended lees aging—when deemed appropriate for the parcel and vintage.