Wine growers since 1802 the Gonets now are a great Champagne family. Their name originally from Lyon, gones (name given to the children who used to push the wagons in the silk factories), means fairies. Sophie, from the seventh generation, is in charge with her two brothers of the Champagne house and reenchanted the head office of Avize.
"Many women are fairies who ignore it, they do not know they are magic”, Didier Van Cauwelaert wrote. Sophie Signolle, born Gonet, with her long blond braid and her elfin figure is one of them. She adores her great-grandparents who brought up her father, her grandparents who had 5 children and twelve grandchildren, they all work in Champagne; she admires her father Michel who was the first one to sell Champagne in his name at export, who bequeathed to her two brothers and her some beautiful estates in Bordeaux and Champagne.
It extends over 36 ha most in Grand Cru that Sophie claims! Planted by 80% with Chardonnay, it is located mainly in the Côte des Blancs area in the villages of Oger, Mesnil-sur-Oger, but also in the Coteaux du Sézannais area at Vindey, and at last in the Coteaux de Montgueux area; and by 20% with Pinot Noir at Fravaux in the Coteaux de Bar-sur-Aube area. She attributes all the qualities to the Chardonnay, “it displays a wide aromatic range, a rare generosity, length on the palate, an unequalled maturity and has no acidity.” Many of her plots of land being situated on a hillside, she dreams of finding something else to cultivate to complement vine growing between the rows so that its roots naturally plough the ground at the foot of the stocks. From a dream estate to reality, there is one step that fairy Sophie is about to cross very soon.
“Good grace is the fairy's real talent; without, nothing can be done, with it, all is possible”, Charles Perrault wrote. To rationalize, sanitize and increase her production, Sophie undertook the restoration of the production unit. She renovated the insulation of the cellar and the soils to get rid of water penetration, recycled the water, separated the wet rooms (like the pressing, disgorgement, labelling areas, the storing cellars) from the dry places. She refitted out the vathouse with smaller volumes ideal for her plot-selected cuvées. To provide this unit with a magical aspect, she moved the presses down half a floor, and installed the gravity vathouse under it and the cellars in the second underground. The ground floor will be fitted out in an open space with windows opening up on the vineyards; there she will skilfully organize events.
On the wines side, she is a woman of heart and convictions. “I have excellent terroirs and I market more and more single vineyard cuvées. I love the 100% Mesnil-sur-Oger, the 100% Montgueux, the 100% Vindey… Yesterday we used to blend different vintages to gain regularity but the weather conditions are improving every year, no need to mingle the years anymore. Instead I declare vintage my entire production (approx. 300,000 bottles) and the weakest vintage becomes the non-vintage Brut. With 4 years of ageing, I present wines of character with a strong common personality but with different features of taste. Champagne Michel Gonet proposes Champagnes adapted to every moment. My rosé has a frivolous side, crafted with flattering Pinot Noirs, to enjoy with friends. The Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2009 stemming from Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger rather for an aperitif with professionals; this wine has been overlaid with gold in the contests; the same for the cuvée Authentique 2004 Blanc de Blancs, exclusively made of Grand Cru from Mesnil-sur-Oger, with an old style packaging with a hemp string and wax stamp, its aromas carry you to heaven.” She has a real crush on wines without added sugar that exude scents of fresh grapes. Since 2009, Sophie does not operate malolactic fermentation anymore, thus gaining finesse, elegance and femininity… A fairy's work!
Sophie also has undeniable artistic skills. To turn her Prestige cuvée unforgettable she covers the bottle with wild flowers painted from nature! She has just clarified, modernized and customized the presentation with monogram and signature, and created an elegant packaging. Sophie also watches over the reception and tasting house open to public at Avenue de Champagne in Epernay and that she considers to be “a fantastic promotion tool”!
So much magic power and talent! Her realm is not limited to her estate. She has many other functions in link with her profession. She is a member of the communication committee of CIVC*, has been elected to the Department Council for the district 2 of Epernay, represents the syndicate of land owners of the Marne department, is a member of the board of directors of the farmers' social security organization of the Champagne-Ardenne region, presides over the femal wine growers commission at the General Syndicate of Wine Growers and she strives with goodwill in these structures. With all these marvellous qualities and delicious wines, Sophie, radiant, enchants the lives of all of those around her!
Marie-Caroline Bourrellis
* CIVC: Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne
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