Facing the Ocean

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I

A tradition where land
meets sea

We have always been proud of our identity as "sea artisans" facing the ocean. Our culture combines safeguarding the know-how of manual crafts with a spirit of exploration and navigation.
Facing the Ocean
Facing the Ocean
Facing the Ocean

Our family arrived by boat in La Rochelle, in the west of France, in the 16th century and they have continued to sail ever since.

From the 16th to the 18th century, Godet wine was exported in sailing ships from the maritime city. Until the 19th century, our barrels were transported by ocean-going sailing ships, before steamships took over.

Since Bonaventure, boats have been a permanent feature in our lives. Our long line of ancestors were great seafarers and they never stopped sailing as merchants, explorers or with the family.

This rich and diverse maritime and seaport culture with an international outlook is our legacy.
Facing the Ocean
Our ancestor deliberately positioned his winery between land and sea, where the vineyards meet the ocean, building it on the banks of the Maubec Canal in La Rochelle along with his house. The location facilitates loading and unloading casks, and gives direct access to the Atlantic Ocean via the town canal.
It was located in the heart of Saint-Nicolas, a lively historical district of seafarers, full of sailors, fishermen and coopers. They all have connections with the vineyard, wine, and its maritime trade. The wine growers and a wood craftsmen always associated with La Rochelle worked together in this district. Modest and educated men, with at least two trades, worked together depending on the season and the requirements. Precise skills were repeated a thousand times on this site.
The oak barrels echoed the frame of the ships that carried them. The hands of the cooper and the shipwright worked the same marine wood, using the same tool, the adze. This rich and diverse maritime and seaport culture with an international outlook is our legacy. We believe we should continue to defend this tangible and intangible heritage, in its broadest sense, from gastronomy to rituals, from history to objects, from raw materials to the skills of craftworkers.
Facing the Ocean
We are proud to contribute to the preservation of a rare craft. A craft closely connected with our House.
Facing the Ocean
Facing the Ocean

II

Wild
Amazement

A wild, powerful feeling of amazement, and a lifestyle facing the Atlantic Ocean.
Facing the Ocean
Facing the Ocean
Facing the Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean gives us a powerful feeling. It is a source of simple raw sensory pleasure, of inspiration, wonder and boundless energy, that only means something if shared. A deep breath, the strength of the wind, the scent of the sea spray, the shades of grey, blue and green. The energy of the light too, reflecting on the elegantly understated facades of La Rochelle, the White City, on the west coast. Looking out on the horizon, this last untamed expanse, you feel both vulnerable and strong.

 

The ocean is cruel, generous, fascinating and bountiful. You feel incredibly humble in the face of the unyielding ocean. Tasting a Godet cognac, is a moment of “wild amazement”, triggered by contemplating the exquisite beauty of nature; a strong powerful living force, constantly in motion. Like our eaux de vie.

As sea- and land-loving people we have grown up in these surroundings. We are always struck by its staggeringly spectacular beauty.
Facing the Ocean
It elicits the feeling that time – five centuries of history – and space – the vastness of our natural surroundings – have united in a single moment. You are overwhelmed by a feeling of being at one with the sea. This suspended moment in time nears absolute perfection.
A meeting of nature and culture, the Godet Houses cognacs are food for our souls, uplifting us and helping us to see beyond. Our Atlantic vibrancy comes from sailing, passed on by our sailing ancestors. The crew are as closely united on the waves as they are when celebrating or experiencing hard times with a strong sense of community. This community commitment is a daily feature of our lives, serving something much greater than us, in one of the oldest family-run businesses in France. We are entrusted with this long-term responsibility, which we humbly fulfil, taking care to never give up our spirit of independence.
Facing the Ocean
In la Rochelle since 1588

In la Rochelle since 1588

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