2002 Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru Champagne, Michel Gonet, Avize ($68)
“I’m a great fan of aged Champagne…and this Champagne yields all of the miraculous flavors I adore. There is yeast and grilled bread, of course…but also aged Cognac, licorice and vanilla. The style is the typically tight, elegant Gonet style: 100% rated Grand Cru vineyards in Oger and Mesnil, 100% Chardonnay. I love this wine with light-to-medium-bodied foods that also have earthy tones: a good cured ham, a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and you’re in heaven. Also an excellent champagne for full-flavored caviar.”- David Rosengarten
The Michel Gonet estate was established in 1802 by Charles Gonet and today, seven generations later, is run by Michel Gonet’s daughter Sophie. Champagne Michel Gonet is today a chardonnay specialist owning 40 hectares of vineyards that stretch across the best terroirs for this grape variety. The Gonet’s vineyards in the Cote des Blancs are located in Oger and Le Mesnil sur Oger. Their vineyards in the Cotes des Blancs face east with extremely chalky subsoil.
