Champagne Gonet-Médeville is a grower estate founded by Xavier Gonet, from a long-established Chardonnay family in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Julie Médeville, whose family runs Château Gilette in Sauternes. Working from the village of Bisseuil, the couple farm a patchwork of top Grand Cru parcels across the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims using organic practices, and they bring a Bordeaux-trained patience to the cellar. Their Champagnes are vinous and structured, built for the table and for the long haul.

“Cuvée Théophile” is the estate’s prestige vintage bottling, drawn from Grand Cru sites in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, and Ambonnay: roughly 60% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and 40% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay. The base wines ferment and age in neutral oak barrels with no malolactic conversion, which keeps the acidity taut while the wood adds texture. The 2014 then rested for nearly a decade on its lees before disgorgement with a low Extra Brut dosage. The result is a deep, layered Champagne with real weight and a long, chalky backbone.

Why You'll Love It

• A grower prestige cuvée that pairs the tension of Côte des Blancs Chardonnay with the depth of Ambonnay Pinot Noir.
• The nose opens with bruised yellow apple, candied lemon, and toasted hazelnut, with brioche emerging as it warms.
• Barrel fermentation without malolactic gives a broad, vinous palate carried by bright, mouthwatering acidity.
• Nearly ten years on the lees adds savory, nutty depth, and the finish is long and saline with a crushed-chalk edge.
• Serious enough for a celebration dinner, ready to drink now, and built for years of further life.

How To Serve It

• Serve chilled between 48 and 52°F. It reveals more as it warms gently in the glass.
• No decanting is needed, but give it 15 to 20 minutes in the glass to fully unfold.
• Pour into all-purpose white wine stems rather than flutes to capture the full bouquet.
• Pair with seared sea scallops in brown butter, lobster thermidor, or a wedge of long-aged Comté.