Hugues Godmé is one of those few independent grower-winemakers in Champagne (récoltant-manipulants) who utilizes the full range of available options when crafting his wines. As a strong believer in viticultural determinism, Hugues adheres to a strict organic and biodynamic regimen in his vineyards. He grows all three major varieties of grapes and, moreover produces single vintage, single varietal, blended and multi-vintage cuvées. His biodynamic approach, which includes plowing, cover cropping and homeopathic treatments, forces the roots deeper in a more mineral-rich environment, thereby generating soil-driven grapes that are at once riper with higher concentrations of sugar and acidity.
The domaine was founded in 1930. Today it’s run by Hugues Godmé and his daughter Lucille. It’s comprised of 40 separate parcels aggregating 7.6 hectares of vineyards: 2.8 hectares of Pinot Noir in the Grand Cru villages of Verzenay and Verzy, 3 hectares of Premier Cru Chardonnay in Villers-Marmery, and 1.8 hectares of Premier Cru Pinot Meunier in Ville-Dommange.
Les Alouettes St-Bets is an east-facing vineyard of Chardonnay vines situated in Villers-Marmery, just south of the border with Verzy. Godmé’s 0.42-hectare parcel was planted between 1963 and 1972 and lies close to the top of the hillside at an elevation 180 to 210 meters. The 40cm deep topsoil is alluvial with little clay, and lies over a chalky subsoil and a limestone base.
Les Romaines is a selection parcellaire of 0.39 hectares (0.96 acres), located in Premier Cru Ville-Dommange, in the the northwestern part of the Montagne de Reims. The parcel, planted entirely in Pinot Meunier, runs from the middle to the bottom of the slope, with a shallow topsoil of brown clay, 20 to 30cm deep, overlying a chalky subsoil and a limestone base.
Godmé vinifies his parcels separately and, depending on the vintage, the grapes and the terroir, may ferment in enameled stainless steel tanks or in oak barrels, or in a combination of both – even for a single cuvée. Malolactic fermentation, similarly, varies according to the grape and terroir, and most cuvees include some wine that has passed through malo as well as some wine that has not. The blends vary from year to year, with the cepage determined by the character of the base year. Godmé makes very generous use of reserve wines, and most cuvées include four and sometimes five different vintages. The dosage, similarly, varies according to the cuvée, with some wines having zero dosage and others reaching 7 or 8 gm/L. Hugues invariably uses MCR for his dosage. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
