Gosset Grand Reserve Brut Champagne NV 75 cl

Product Information

In the early years, under the ownership of Pierre Gosset, red wines were the sought-after bottles, particularly at the royal court. In the 18th century sparkling wines began to be deliberately made and the bottle shape used at Gosset to this day reflects the early ‘flask’ bottles employed at that time. Brut Nature/Brut Zéro - Fewer than 3 grams of sugar per litre (1 on The Wine Society’s sweetness code)

The Gosset style of dry Champagnes is well expressed in their nonvintage cuvée. It is crisp with a steely acidity that is balanced by apple and tight citrus fruit flavors. The wine is fresh while also showing a touch of bottle aging. of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced. Gosset 15 Ans, a modern ‘Non Vintage masterpiece’ made of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir and aged 15 years in bottle.

The next two digits refer to the week in the year, in the case above, the 8th week of the year, (February 2015). Gosset, the oldest of Champagne houses, have been making wine in Aÿ since 1584, much longer than Champagne has had bubbles intentionally! A blend of fruit from the Montagne de Reims and the Cote des Blancs, it shows some attractive maturity. Given its balanced, perfumed aftertaste and great fruitiness, this is a Champagne to drink now...' The House produces a range of different wines, including a range of non-vintage bottlings: the House’s flagship multi-vintage blend Grande Réserve, its Blanc de Blancs and Rosé. As for vintage wines, its Grand Millésime is joined by the “prestige” Celebris cuvées, which are only produced in the very best years. Gosset crafts truly artisan and gastronomic Champagnes, wines which are often seen in Michelin-star restaurants across the world. Newly appointed Chef de Caves Odilon de Varine (who took over in 2016) carries on the hallmark style of the House: extended aging “sur lees” in the cellars gives the wines extra richness and complexity in the finished glass, while the wines often don’tt undergo malolactic fermentation, to preserve the wines’ acidity and freshness. The results tend to be very creamy, dry and full, with rich, biscuit notes, framed by a trademark mineral freshness.

Champagne Gosset’s winemaking utilizes all the grapes and terroir have to offer and minimizes other inputs. Gosset carefully avoids malolactic fermentation, thus preserving the malic acid present in the grapes. Grower lots are kept separate until it is time to blend the cuvées, and vinification temperatures are managed carefully to preserve delicate aromatics. During assemblage, all the lots are tasted blind – there are no recipes. Similarly, dosage for each lot is selected during blind trials. Non-vintage wines are cellared for at least three years, vintage wines at least seven and 10 for the CELEBRIS cuvées. The nose opens with the fresh ripeness of yellow apple and highlights of Granny Smith. Beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate deepens into notes of creamy apple crumble, Golden delicious and Mirabelle plum while remaining utterly straitlaced. Elegance, length and absolute freshness are inherent and quietly convincing. An engaging bouquet of lively citrus and strawberry fruits with lovely smoky minerality. The palate shows fresh citrus fruits together with light minerality and a lovely toasty finish. Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district.Founded in Ay in 1584 Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne. The Grande Réserve is the true signature of the House. Its style rests on Pinot Noir from Ay which gives the structure to the wine. Malolactic fermentation has been avoided to preserve the freshness and the elegance of the fruit and a long ageing in cellars will bring roundness and complexity. Dosage is kept low as in the style of the house (8 g/l). WINERY: Champagne Gosset produces dynamic, textured cuvées that reflect their sourcing, primarily Grand and Premier Cru vineyards. By following a winemaking philosophy that minimizes inputs beyond what the grapes provide (e.g. no malolactic fermentation), the winery continues a family legacy of excellence that started in 1584, making it the oldest wine house in Champagne. This cuvée has a bright and golden colour. The nose is dominated by the freshness and the fruit. The Chardonnay brings finesse sustained by notes of yellow fruits such as peach and Mirabelle plum. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and generous. The Pinot Noir of Ay gives its structure. Hawthorn and white flowers merge naturally. Acidity is expressed by citrus fruits. WINE: Grande Réserve is the “heart” of the range. This non-vintage cuvée utilizes mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a small portion of Pinot Meunier. Grande Réserve spends 3-4 years on the lees, which is three times longer than the AOC legal limit and provides added texture and complexity. Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion, is one of the key factors determining the style of most Champagnes. Three grapes are used - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

Situated in the tiny Grand Cru village of Aÿ, five kilometres from Epernay, quality-focused Gosset has some rather famous neighbours, including Bollinger; its production, however, is much below that of the larger Houses, at around 1.3 million bottles (Moët & Chandon, for comparison, makes close to 30 million). How significant is France in the world of wine? The most popular international grape varieties, from Chardonnay to Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon, are native to France. In many years France produces (and consumes!) more wine than any other country. Its production and export of fine wines is unmatched. Non-Vintage is by far the most popular style of Champagne, representing as it does the producer's house style. The name is rather misleading; Krug's preferred term, 'multi-vintage', is perhaps more appropriate, since an NV will be a blend from a number of vintages. Consistency is crucial, and it is here that the skill of the blender comes to the fore. Founded in Aÿ in 1584 by Pierre Gosset, Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne. For more than four centuries, the family has preserved its house style, a true reflection of the terroir; a textured wine that shows purity, precision and persistence.Bottled at the end of the spring following the harvest, 4 years minimum aging in cellars. The dosage is adjusted with precision to preserve the balance between freshness, fruit, and vinosity without masking the wine’s character and purity. Created with the vision of making the very best brut non-vintage in Champagne, Gosset Grande Réserve Brut NV is a blend of only Grand and Premier Cru grapes. Aged for a minimum of five years on the lees, it is still presented today in the same antique bottle used when the House first began making sparking wine. A truly faithful expression of the famous Gosset style. Rosé Champagne is unique in that it is the only rosé in France that is allowed to be made by mixing red and white wines, as opposed to the normal method of using dark-skinned grapes and macerating them for a short period, so a little of the colour is leeched. In the past some houses felt it rather beneath them to produce rosé Champagne, but almost all do so now. Pierre Gosset was Mayor of Ay when, in 1584, he founded his Wine House. Only still wine were made at the time with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape, known as Vin D’Ay. The Sparkling wine production only started in the 18th Century and was presented in the antique flask still used for the production of Champagne Gosset today. In some Champagnes the dégorgement is delayed, sometimes for years, to increase the depth and complexity of the flavours through more time spent on the lees. After topping up (dosage) with a little more wine and sugar (known as liqueur d'expédition), the bottle is sealed.