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One of our all time favourite Champagnes for any occasion. The nose is yeasty and brimming with red fruits finishing with a slight scent of vanilla. In the mouth the wine is generous and full, showing the red fruits again with a darker edge of fig and almond giving the wine a rounded quality. Certainly one for those who like fuller Champagnes with a mature vinous quality. A lot of wine for the money and recently voted the best wine in the world of any style by influential Guide Hachette in France.
Gosset
Founded in Aÿ in 1584 by grower and winemaker Pierre Gosset, the then still wines of Gosset first found fame at the court of Francois 1. The reputation of the wine was such that the King ordered his own cellar to be built at Aÿ. Production turned to sparkling wine in the 18th century following the discovery of the méthode champenoise. The family eventually sold the company in 1993 to Max Cointreau, owner of the prestigious Cognac house Frapin.
Quality and integrity remain central tenets of the company’s winemaking philosophy. Only 4000 cases of the prestige cuvée, Célébris, are produced despite overwhelming demand. Gosset is renowned worldwide for its fine sparkling wines, with their creamy style, consistency of quality and character. The elegance, freshness, structure and pleasing body also makes the entire range, from the Brut Excellence NV to the three Célébris cuvées, ideal to serve with food.
The Gosset blends are made from fruit grown only in the Premiers and Grands Crus (villages) in the Marne region. The naturally fruity character that makes Gosset so instantly recognisable is due to the fine malic acid preserved in the wine – there is no malolactic fermentation. A percentage of the blends destined for the Grande Réserve and up are fermented in wooden vats. Four centuries of experience and knowledge have not been forgotten. The traditional methods of poignettage (riddling) and dégorgement are still carried out by hand, each day. The wines are then aged for a minimum of three years before release to allow them to develop fully.
Célébris - the jewel in Gosset's crown - completed its line up in 2008 with the addition of the Célébris Extra Brut Rosé 2003, a fantastic example of the Extra Brut style, the Rosé joins the Vintage 1998 and the Blanc de Blancs in celebrating the very best that winemaker Jean Pierre Mareigner has achieved (so far!)
But which style is the favourite? Odilon de Varine admits he always returns to the Grande Réserve, others prefer the fabulous Grand Rosé - perhaps the best example of a non vintage Rosé available. It is another of the house’s annual challenges, to produce that classic creamy non-vintage style from cuvées that are never the same each year.
Best wine in the world (any category) - Guide Hachette 2008
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Technical info
Variety: Chardonnay (46%), Pinot Noir et Pinot Meunier (54%)
Vineyards: Grand Crus sites
Winery Tasting Note
Colour and appearance: A clear, glimmering golden-yellow hue. Very elegant mousse, made up of a myriad of fine, light bubbles. Fine, lasting ribbon.
Nose: Intense and complex, fresh and well-balanced, offering a host of deliciously perfumed early spring scents - daffodils, hyacinths, irises, grasses, lime and camomile blossom. On swirling, aromas reminiscent of ripe, wild orchard fruits such as black cherries, bilberries and wild brambles are released. Finishes with hints of sweet spices such as vanilla and cardamom married with marzipan.
Palate: Generous, full-bodied and concentrated, this mature wine fills the mouth while preserving its fruity, smooth and balanced nature. Hints of figs, prunes and candied cherries give the wine a warm taste, the floral notes fade discretely, adding sweetness and sophistication. Exceptional flavours of Melba toast, roasted almonds, praline and lightly roasted coffee very quickly give rise to a roasted aroma. Finishes long, potent and irresistible with very fleeting hints of chestnut puree, caramel and rice pudding, and a remarkable crispness.
This Champagne is one to enjoy with free-range poultry. Also with lamb or veal, perhaps served with a sauce.
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