Domaine Font de Michelle & Font du Vent, Rhône Valley

According to local archives, the Gonnet family has been settled at Bédarrides (southeast of Châteauneuf du Pape) since 1600 and in 1880 Jean Etienne Gonnet built the farmhouse that now serves as the winery.  His grandson, Etienne Gonnet, founded Font de Michelle in 1950, the vineyards comprising of 30 hectares.  Since 1975, his sons, Jean and Michel, have presided over the legacy, focussing on improving winemaking methods and developing full-bodied wines that are concentrated, refined and through which the ‘terroir’ can express all of its qualities and, in so doing, elevate the estate’s renown.  Their sons, Bertrand and Guillaume have since also joined Gonnet Pères et Fils, adding their own enthusiasm and skill.  In 2002, the estate expanded with 20 hectares of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Signargues vineyard sites, situated at Domazan in the Gard, called La Font du Vent.  The land resembles that in Châteauneuf du Pape: chalky-clay soil with rounded pebbles, with fine red clay and sandy loams.  The established vines are situated on plateaus and terraces, similar to the Tuscan landscape.

The philosophy of the estate is resolutely oriented towards a growing process that respects the environment, improves the vine’s own natural defences and the soil.  For over twenty years no chemical fertilizers have been used. Instead, the Gonnet family favour the use of biological-label organic compost that imparts the necessary soil-balancing elements to the ground.