A Family

Champagne GATINOIS is produced using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown on the family’s  vineyards (“Récoltant-Manipulant” Winegrower-producer status). We work independently, with an in-depth understanding of all stages of the wine and champagne making process, from the vine to the champagne flute. Our objective is simple yet complex: we want our champagne to be a reflection of its outstanding terroir.

We are located, as we always have been, in the ancient village of Aÿ, occupying a traditional half-timbered winemaker’s house. Our cellars are open to wine and champagne lovers from around the world (prior booking required)

Since Nicolas LE CACHEUR and Françoise REMY married in 1696, there have been 12 family generations on the famous hillsides of Aÿ, over the past three centuries.
In the early 20th century, great-grandfather Emile MICHEL-LE CACHEUR was a fervent defender of the winemakers’ interests in Champagne. In 1911, he became one of the founding members of today’s SGV champagne syndicate. His daughter, Marie, married Charles GATINOIS in 1921 and continued her father’s work: the GATINOIS name has appeared on the bottles ever since.

Emile and Micheline GATINOIS took over the domaine after the Second World War. Between 1980 and 2010, their daughter Marie and her husband Pierre CHEVAL were at the helm of the prestigious family company. Dedication is clearly a family trait which has been passed on, as Pierre was the founder of the Villa Bissinger (The National Institute of Wines from Champagne) and also chaired the Champagne Landscapes Association that lead to their listing to the Unesco World Heritage list in 2015. His son, Louis CHEVAL, now perpetuates the family’s 300 years of knowhow. .

Louis Cheval took over the domaine in 2010 after an illustrious career as a geologist. The call of the terroir  and the Grand Cru of Aÿ proved to be too much of a temptation! This elegant thirty-something, a man in tune with the times, now runs Champagne GATINOIS and oversees all stages of production, from the vineyards to the cellars.

His is the task of producing a range of champagnes that naturally reflect the real substance, warmth and depth of the family history. He has risen easily to the challenge.