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CHAMPAGNE
– STYLES –
Gobillard’s cellar door facilities
A sandstone tank for the new Gobillard Champagne
J.M. GOBILLARD & FILS,
AS BROAD-RANGING AS EVER
Thierry Gobillard, who is just over 60, is now at the
helm of this family-run company which produces over
1.5 million bottles of Champagne a year. Although they
do own 33 hectares of vines, the Gobillards buy contract
fruit from the equivalent of 160 hectares of vines spread
across the entire Champagne region and managed by a
trading company. A significant share, however, comes
from Hautvillers and the surrounding area. The house
also runs a nursery. The family’s ancestors, Jean-Marie
and Françoise Gobillard, began producing Champagne
vines and this has been pivotal to their success.
The business itself is based in Hautvillers, the village
of the famous Dom Pérignon. In fact, the illustrious
neighbour is buried in the village church and the abbey,
along with his tomb, attract tourists from across the
globe. This has prompted the Gobillards to open cellar
door facilities for their Champagne, very nearby, where a
broad range of Champagnes can be tasted. The decision
has paid off because nearly 7% of the company’s revenue
comes from direct-to-consumer sales.
Thierry Gobillard explains that the company has always
marketed an extensive range of Champagnes, so that
they can be shown from every aspect. The non-vintage
Brut therefore only accounts for a third of sales and has
to compete with no fewer than ten other labels, not to
mention the classic Ratafia made from pomace brandy
and fresh grape juice. Producing such a large range
requires a similarly large winery and countless tanks. It
also makes the winemaking process complicated. The
portfolio includes a Blanc de Blancs and a Blanc de
Noirs, a vintage Champagne, the Cuvée des Moines – a
Champagne matured in oak – and a rosé. It also produces
a demi-sec Champagne recommended for drinking with
desserts.
But there are also the more off-beat labels. “People
love something new”, explains Gobillard. The house
obliges with Cuvée 5, an unusual blend where the three
usual Champagne suspects that are Chardonnay, Pinot
noir and Pinot Meunier rub shoulders with the much
less familiar Arbane and Petit Meslier. These historic
grape varieties, too, are permitted as per Champagne
20 WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE