PRODUCER: Champagne Gimonnet-Gonet
REGION: Côte de Blancs, Champagne, France
WINEMAKERS: Charles & Anne-Sophie Gimonnet-Gonet
WINERY HISTORY
Gimonnet-Gonet was founded in 1986 by husband-wife duo Anne Gonet and Philippe Gimonnet. Each the descendant of a famed Champenois family, their status as younger children meant the two elected to branch out on their own, abiding by the belief that Champagne is so much more than a job: it's an irresistible passion. Having spent decades mastering their craft in some of the Côte de Blancs greatest vineyards, the two elected to pass their estate on to son Charles in 2012. A veritable viticultural prodigy, Charles has headed the farming aspects of the estate since he joined. Twin sister Anne-Sophie completed the team in 2016, joining as head winemaker after years spent honing her skills in Chablis' greatest cellars.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
Working with 13.5ha of vines in some of the Côte de Blancs most iconic regions - including 6ha of Grand Cru holdings in Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oiry, Cramant, and Chouilly - the team craft Champagne of the finest quality. The rest of their holdings can be found in the Marne Valley, dotting the villages of Bouquigny, Vincelles, Verneuil, and Trélou. The average age of their vines is 40 years old and - as with almost all other Roberson producers - farming is done in the lutte raisonée method. Grapes are allowed to achieve optimal maturity before hand-harvesting and rigorously selecting only the finest bunches.
Their work in the cellar is the natural progression of their work in the vineyard. The fruit undergoes two presses - vertical, then pneumatic - before each parcel is vinified separately in stainless steel vats and later blended together. In order to most effectively convey their exceptional terroir, there is not a single barrel used in the winery and the wines do not go through malolactic fermentation. This way they remain bright, linear and imbued with the minerality that made the chalky white plains of the Côte des Blancs so famous. All cuvées see a minimum of 3 years sur lie, and are disgorged six months prior to release. This delicate and precise winemaking highlights each terroir, yielding firm, generous, fantastically textured, and extremely fresh wines.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
