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Gosset

The Gosset family have been making wine in Champagne since 1584, a date that precedes the creation of the first Champagne house - Ruinart - by well over a century. Gosset lay no claim to this apparently much-coveted title, simply because in the 16th century the Gosset family weren't making Champagne. The founder was Pierre Gosset, an alderman of Aÿ, who made from his vineyard of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay a still table wine. It wasn't until two centuries later that the Gosset family turned their attention towards the production of sparkling wine instead.

The family retained control of the business until the late 20th century but then, like so many family-owned Champagne houses, it fell into the hands of big business. After four centuries of the Gosset family, control passed to the Cointreau family, with Beatrice Cointreau taking the lead. The new owners had the good sense to change little at Gosset; the chef de cave stayed on, winemaking practices went unaltered, and as a result quality at Gosset has been maintained. Gosset fruit is sourced from the premier and grand cru villages of the Marne region. Harvesting is manual, just the first pressings are used, and malolactic fermentation is blocked, this latter point being one in common with few Champagne houses, Lanson being an obvious exception. The wines, sourced from 45 local villages, are fermented separately in small vats, so that the identity of the wine is preserved prior to blending. Riddling is still manual, and after disgorgement the wines are held back for up to one year. These key principles make up the Gosset Charter of Excellence, practices which have seen quality maintained for many years, and the charter is still observed by the new owners.

The range of wines from Gosset starts with the rather simple Brut Excellence, a blend of 42% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir (premier & grand cru) and 13% Pinot Meunier. It comprises 24% reserve wines, and is distinguishable from the rest of the range by several means. Firstly, this cuvée is presented in a standard Champagne bottle. Secondly, there is a marked step up in quality from this basic cuvée to the rest of the range, all of which are presented in bottles similar to those used by Jean Gosset in the 18th century. The first of the Grandes Cuvées is the Grande Réserve, a non vintage cuvée blended from three vintages, comprising 46% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier, including 12% reserve wines. This is frequently of very high quality. The final non-vintage wine in the portfolio is the Grand Rosé, a Chardonnay-Pinot Noir blend with addition of red wine from Bouzy and Ambonnay.

There are three vintage cuvées available from Gosset, with the Grande Millésime being the one with which most will be familiar. This is a Chardonnay-Pinot Noir cuvée, no Pinot Meunier. Quality is excellent, but is superseded by the two prestige cuvées. The Celebris Brut is made from 66% grand cru Chardonnay sourced from the Côte des Blancs, with 34% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne. My recent discussions with Gosset revealed that there will be no 1996 Celebris, despite this year being a strong contender for greatest vintage of the last fifteen years, with 1990 the only serious contender for this title. The explanation? Gosset want to concentrate on the Grande Millésime in such a great vintage; this is, of course, hogwash. I'm not sure why Gosset won't be producing a 1996 Celebris, but leaving the prestige cuvée out of the portfolio in such a fine vintage defies logic. But lovers of fine Champagne shouldn't fret; I don't expect there to be a shortage of Winston Churchill, La Grande Dame, Cristal, Salon or Dom Pérignon with 1996 on the label. Moving on, Gosset's final wine is the Celebris Rosé which, like the non-vintage, is also made with the addition of red wine.

Gosset is a house that has survived a takeover, as a number of Champagne houses have done, and continues in my opinion to produce high quality wines. The occasional questionable bottle I have tasted can be put down to poor storage before I purchased it. These are wines which, perhaps with the exception of the Brut Excellence, are well worth going out of your way to experience. (29/6/05)

Contact details:
Address: BP 7, 51160 Aÿ
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 26 56 99 56
Fax: +33 (0) 3 26 51 55 88
Internet: www.champagne-gosset.com

Gosset - Tasting Notes

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Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: A fine nose, fine, with notes of almonds with a lightly roasted edge, and baked oat biscuit with a little honey tinge. This has great style. The palate is full, showing some evolution, with more nutty character like that on the nose. This is a big, bold and yet elegantly defined wine built around a crisp acid core. Excellent wine. From the 2009 annual Champagne Tasting. 17.5/20 (March 2009)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: This has an unusual character on the nose, showing some paradoxical sweet yet lemony fruit, with a faint toffee character. I find it quite difficult to describe. Direct and lemony fruit on the palate, a little richness, beautifully framed, well structured, with a lovely composition within. Really good potential here, certainly on the up, although it needs more time to further come together. From the 2008 annual Champagne tasting. 17+/20 (March 2008)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: Served very cold. Perhaps this helps to explain the reserved nose; it had a nice, rather complex, oily-oaky character, with creamy, nutty toffee when a little warmer. A very bright palate, with citrus fruit, a broad and pervasive style, with clean fruit on the finish. This is precise, elegant, with really good lines. A lovely style, which has certainly picked up its feet since I last tasted it. Excellent potential. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 17+/20 (March 2007)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1999: There is a faint caramel note on the nose here, behind some rather subtle stone fruit character. But it is quite muted; put simply, this is really rather closed at present. An elegant presence on the palate, followed by a wall of firm acidity, which dominates the soft, creamy, bready, slightly nutty mouthfeel. There is good potential for the cellar here. From the annual Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16+/20 (March 2006)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1996: I have noted some concern about oxidation and longevity with this cuvée from other Champagne drinkers, so I was eager to open this one - and it is my last bottle too. The cork is very compact and clearly from a bottle with some maturity, although there is a reassuring (if rather gentle) phhut of gas when opened, and happily there was no loss of sparkle evident once in the glass. The colour has a fine, golden tinge. The nose opens and evolves quite strongly, showing deep and characterful aromas, of toast with honey, grilled Brazil nuts with a oxidative streak of oiled wood. Quite well polished on entry, but also quite rich, broad and well-rounded and in fact a rather creamy texture. There are appealing flavours of orange peel, toast and a little mushroom. Certainly no overt oxidation, although as indicated there is an oxidative edge to the style, and it is certainly mature, broad and a touch fat. The mousse is gentle but fine, crisp and there is a good, fine acidity too. Nice, lengthy finish. Overall a very good wine which is fine for drinking now; I think whether you rush to it depends on your preferred style rather than any great concern with oxidation. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 17.5/20 (February 2010)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1996: The second of a handful of bottles purchased at Perardel a few years ago, the first of which did not show well at all, its under-performance only emphasised by the glorious bottle tasted at the LIWSF last year. This one was showing better, I suspect at 100%. A fine, pale gold colour. A very sparse bead, almost non-existent, just a stream or two of the tiniest bubbles. Glorious aroma on the nose, of fresh hazelnut and toasty brioche. On the palate, similarly fine and intense flavours come through, with a very gentle but tightly coiled mousse carried along by fine, firm acidity. Just a little creamy edge to the feel on the palate, which shows some sparkling minerals alongside more nutty character. This is just fabulous, finishing with a desperately characterful, mineral infused length. Full of potential for further cellaring, I feel. From a 1996 vintage ten years on tasting. 17.5+/20 (December 2006)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1996: Chardonnay 62%, Pinot Noir 38%. Grand cru 90%, premier cru 10%. Very pale. Refined nose, elegant, showing white fruits. Fine palate. Balanced, vinous, full, characterful yet fresh. This is delicious wine. Showing immensely superior to the bottle I had just a month or so ago - I suspect storage was the problem there. 17+/20 (June 2005)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1996: Mid gold, plentiful bead, large bubbles, obviously a youthful wine. And yet the nose seems so forward; aromas of coffee and toffee, with an autolytic yeast component. And then on the palate the youth shows again. Piles of mousse, with lovely youthful, citrus-tinged acidity, although some of the more mature characteristics also show through. Somewhat medicinal in the finish, lacks elegance and balance, but overall very drinkable. This apparent advanced development may be related to the cork, which didn't show a great deal of elasticity, and perhaps poor storage before my purchase; this bottle may not be typical. 16/20 (April 2005)

Gosset Celebris Brut 1995: Pinot Noir 54%, Chardonnay 46%. Slightly less pale. Open, honey and caramelised apple nose, with meaty notes betraying the presence of the Pinot. Full, creamy, biscuity. A suggestion of red fruits. Honeycomb. Opulent, moderate acidity, drinking now. Very good indeed. 17/20 (June 2005)

Gosset Celebris Rosé 1995: Chardonnay 61%, Pinot Noir 37%, with 7% still Pinot Noir from Bouzy. Grand cru 100%. Very pale, onion skin hue. Smoky red fruits, full, creamy, caramel and burnt sugar nose. Very soft, fading mousse, soft acidity; very approachable. Great character here, not strongly rosé in style. Very good. 16.5/20 (June 2005)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1993: The first, and thankfully the only, worry of the evening as the first bottle turned out to be quite dead through the midpalate. Fortunately another bottle was to hand just inside the cellar door - the perfect temperature as well. Subsequently little opportunity for me to make a tasting note! Good colour and sparse bead. Elegant, maturing nose. Fine, integrated palate - no prominent acidity here - and good flavour. From a 1993 vintage ten years on tasting. 17.5/20 (December 2003)

Gosset Grand Millésime 1993: This wine has a richer golden hue and a fine bead. The nose is intensely rich and yeasty. It has a lovely mousse, and a superb depth of lemony, flavoursome fruit. Again, lovely acidity, and a rich, yeasty finish here. 17.5/20 (December 2000)

Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.

Gosset Brut Excellence NV: Current release. Rather steely character, lemon and herb aromas, rather tight and firm. The palate is attractively clean and well defined, with bright lemon citrus fruit packed in by good acidity. It is very tightly composed and has some fine potential I think. From the 2008 annual Champagne tasting. 16+/20 (March 2008)

Gosset Brut Excellence NV: Current release. Attractive, refined, subtle and elegant. Minerally and smoky on the nose, just a trace of sulphur, again not a problem here. Full style, a good balance of fruit and a gentle structure. Just lacks a little midpalate impact, but now I think I am being picky. Altogether, a nicely style wine. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16+/20 (March 2007)

Gosset Grand Rosé NV: Current release. Barely a hint of onion skin to this otherwise pink wine. The nose certainly has appeal, with notes of oranges and other citrus fruits providing welcome relief among all the strawberries and redcurrants. Lovely palate, broad and expressive, showing notes of peaches and tangerines, with a mineral background and a soft, creamy mousse. This is very good indeed. Drink now. From the annual Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 17/20 (March 2006)

Gosset Brut Excellence NV: Chardonnay 42%, Pinot Noir 46%, Pinot Meunier 12%. Base vintage is the 2000. Current release. Elegant, white fruit. Touch of honeycomb. Fresh, leafy herbal style, but with body and decent texture. A little rich. Very good for a basic non-vintage cuvée. 16+/20 (June 2005)

Gosset Grande Réserve NV: Chardonnay 45%, Pinot Noir 45%, Pinot Meunier 10%. Base vintage is the 1997. Current release. Grand cru 80%, premier cru 20%. No malolactic. Very pale. Good nose though, rich, as is the palate. Vinous. Stylish. Honeycomb toffee opulence, with a sherbetty edge. This is very good. Ready now. 16.5/20 (June 2005)

Gosset Grand Rosé NV: Chardonnay 56%, Pinot Noir 35%, with 9% still Pinot Noir from Ambonnay. Grand cru 80%, premier cru 20%. No malolactic. Low dosage. Current release. Cranberry and strawberry nose. Lovely, fresh, creamy-nutty red fruits, with good acid structure. Delightfully fresh. This is very good. 16.5/20 (June 2005)

Gosset Grande Réserve NV: Current release. A lemon yellow colour. A cream, yeasty nose with lemony freshness. A creamily textured wine, with good fruit and an oyster richness. Lovely acidity. 17/20 (December 2000)