Gosset

The honour of being considered the oldest of all champagne houses clearly belongs to Gosset.
In the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, a document with the number 29867/322 is deposited in the Dossiers Bleus, which proves that as early as in 1584, a Mr. Pierre Gosset not only produced wine from his own vines in his house in the famous Aÿ, but also demonstrably traded them. The historian Tom Stevenson notes that this date might even be too short, since a certain Jean Gosset was already a vintner in 1555. However, as there is no record of the trade, the official date of the foundation of the house of Gosset is about thirty years later. Pierre Gosset was mayor of the town of Aÿ at the time. In this office, he often welcomed celebrities such as King Henri IV.

Efficient wine producers of the Champagne of that time, such as Pierre Gosset, may be considered as the cornerstone in the long and traditional history of the King of Wines. The products of the house Gosset were still wines at that time, but they might have represented the same kind of excellent wines from the Champagne region, which achieved a great success a little later at the times of the famous Charles Marguetel de Saint Denis, Seigneur de Saint-Evremond, at the English royal court due to their natural second fermentation - long before the famous Benedictine monks Dom Perignon and Frere Oudart made a name for themselves in the Champagne development.
Many sources still cite the house Ruinart as the oldest champagne house - but this is not quite right, as champagne is historically now provably the product of a long evolution (rather than 'revolution'). But let's not get hung up on splitting hairs and return to the history of the house Gosset and the review of their very special champagnes:

The house Gosset remained in the family without interruption for 15 generations. In 1984, it celebrated its 400th anniversary with lavish parties both in its home town of Aÿ and in Paris with renowned artists, festive fairs and concerts. A very special Gosset champagne, the Cuvée Quatrième Centenaire, was made especially for the occasion. In the following decade, however, financial problems made themselves felt. In 1994, the Gosset house was bought out by another well-known family business, Renaud Cointreau. The new head of the house was a lady named Béatrice Cointreau. The many aficionados around the world who had always adored the strictly traditionally prepared Gosset champagne and were now worried about the future under the new management were quickly reassured. The oenologist Béatrice Cointreau herself comes from a family with an ancient vintner tradition: Her mother is the granddaughter of Pierre Frapin (the founder of the world-famous Frapin house in Segonzac, Cognac). She conscientiously continued the tradition-conscious production of the champagnes at Gosset. She took care of a slim assortment of attractive champagnes and is still regarded as a welcome ambassador of the house Gosset on the international stage.

Gosset has always had the reputation of being a fine but relatively small house compared to famous champagne houses. Before the change of owner in 1994, Gosset delivered 400,000 to 500,000 bottles per year. Export had existed at Gosset for centuries to a limited extent (only about 20% of production was shipped to about 15 countries). For example, from the belly of the ship "William Salthouse", which sank off the coast of Australia in 1841, still perfectly corked Gosset champagnes were recovered in recent times. Especially Germany, where more than 100,000 bottles are exported every year, as well as England have always been considered as the most important export markets for Gosset. However, with the change of owner, a new marketing strategy came up. The export director of Gosset, Philippe Manfredini, has been intensively working on increasing the export share for more than twelve years. Under his leadership, exports now account for 65% of the total annual production of around 1 million bottles. Today, Gosset maintains a complex network of wholesalers and representatives in about 70 countries, which in turn maintains close ties primarily with the gastronomy industry. This is why we champagne fans are most likely to encounter Gosset champagnes where there is also something very fine to eat. The connection with restaurants and Gosset champagnes is a very obvious one, as Gosset champagnes have always been designed to tastefully complement just about any dish. However, before we go into detail about the different Gosset champagnes, let's take a look at what's behind the elaborate cellar technique:

The cellars of the house Gosset have been ruled over by the Chef de Cave, Jean-Pierre Mareignier, for over 20 years. He has admirably managed to keep up with the enormous growth in demand for Gosset Champagne without compromising the renowned quality and tradition of the house in the slightest. Gosset continues to eschew malolactic fermentation (common to many other Champagne houses). Instead, Gosset preserves the natural fruit acids of the vines as an important, traditional ingredient in all of their renowned Champagnes. Forgoing malolactic fermentation forces the cellar master to strive for perfect balance in the production of his cuvées, giving them extra attention and generous aging time in his cellars. Many years later, this additional effort pays off for the connoisseur in several ways: Gosset champagnes present themselves with an exceptional freshness and fruitiness in terms of taste. At the same time, Gosset champagnes are considered particularly storable. Although all Gosset champagnes are ready to drink upon delivery, the additional storage capability is a welcome bonus for many champagne lovers, as the basic character of a Gosset champagne does not change, but with additional storage it can develop completely new sides of its personality, while other sides recede.

The first fermentation takes place exclusively in stainless steel tanks. Reserve wines are then stored in many magnum bottles in the cool cellars of the house. Moreover, Gosset maintains a small warehouse with about 30 oak barrels (each with a capacity of 205 liters), where Jean-Pierre Mareignier gives certain cuvees with only a short storage time the appropriate touch of barrel aging. Although Gosset does not own any vineyards, it has developed first-class and stable relationships with winegrowers in the Champagne region during its more than 400 years of existence. Jean-Pierre Mareignier thus has the advantage of being able to reliably secure the best grape material from Grand-Crus and Premier-Crus in the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs and the Marne Valley. The different wines are then later stored in the cellars of the house Gosset, sorted by cru, grape variety and vintage.

Moreover, the house Gosset is known for paying special attention to the noble (and expensive) Chardonnay vines in its blends. Gosset insists on an average quality classification of at least 95% for its grapes. Moreover, only the must of the first pressing is used.
With this elaborate (and expensive) basis, Jean-Pierre Mareignier then composes the famous Gosset cuvees, which then have to spend an average of five years on the yeast in the bottles. At Gosset, particularly high-quality champagnes like Prestige Cuvées, Millésime, Grand Rosé and Grande Réserve are additionally bottled in champagne bottles of the classic (bulbous) shape.

All vintage champagnes - the famous Grande Réserve, Prestige Cuvée (CELEBRIS), Grand Rosé as well as all other champagnes of the house, which are bottled larger than a normal bottle (750 ml) - enjoy the attention of the traditional shaking by hand. Later, a professional degorgeur takes care of the larger bottles and the prestige cuvées. He removes the depôt (the fermentation residue of the dead yeast cells that accumulate at the neck of the bottle after riddling) with great skill using the carbonic pressure in the bottle. This ancient art of disgorgement is called à la volée (in flight) (see also dégorgement in the dictionary). This is followed by dosage, the final corking, and then additional storage (at least three months, but often up to a year) to allow the champagnes to recover from the slight shock of disgorgement. Only then are they delivered.

After passing through this elaborate production process, the connoisseur is presented with strictly traditionally cultivated, fresh and fruity, well-balanced champagnes with a fullness of flavour. With their aromatic complexity, they have been delighting countless champagne fans and renowned wine critics all over the world since time immemorial. Moreover, Gosset has so far succeeded in meeting even ordinary champagne lovers with reasonable prices.

Now let's take a closer look at the different Gosset champagnes:

The most favorable champagne from the house Gosset is the Brut Excellence. The designation 'Excellence' is by no means arrogant, as it clearly stands out in terms of taste and quality in the environment of most other vintageless champagnes. My multiple tasting notes confirm that it clearly inherits elegance, fine acidity and youthful freshness through blending with 42% of the precious Chardonnay grape. Another 45% of the noble Pinot Noir grape lend it pleasant fruit. An additional 13% of the down-to-earth Pinot Meunier grape subtly round out this Champagne with its spice. This blend also benefits from 24% of balancing reserve wines. The Gosset Brut Excellence is an excellent choice as an aperitif. It is also an excellent accompaniment to fish and poultry dishes. By the way, its price is surprisingly affordable (around Euro/US$ 35).

The Gosset Grande Réserve plays in a higher league. Actually, there is no question of calling this champagne a 'vintageless champagne' because Gosset uses the grapes of high-quality crus from three different years in its traditional production. The description of the Gosset Grande Réserve as a multi-vintage champagne is therefore more appropriate. The blend contains 46% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier. This champagne reflects the fundamental flavours of the Gosset house. The pleasant freshness and distinct fruit notes of this Champagne are likely directly related to the successful preservation of the natural fruit acids of high quality vines. It embodies the vinous power of select Pinot Noir vines and is further fueled by the finesse of Chardonnay. The Gosset Grande Réserve has long been considered by many connoisseurs as a valuable tip to champagne novices to learn how excellent a traditionally prepared champagne can taste. At the same time, the erroneous view among some champagne fans that a vintage champagne must necessarily be "better" than a champagne which was prepared from several vintages is often changed during the enjoyment. The complexity of this champagne is confirmed by the praising, but different aromatic descriptions of renowned critics - but all of them are right. The reason: This champagne is much too refined that its great aromatic mosaic could be put into words by only one connoisseur. A special champagne like the Gosset Grande Réserve should be tasted at least once by every champagne fan.
Of course, the Grande Réserve is suitable as a wonderful aperitif, but with its power and aromatic beauty, it also convinces with somewhat heartier dishes. For example, it goes well with veal, lamb and duck. In terms of price, this champagne in the beautiful antique bottle was about Euro/US$ 50 the last time I saw it.

At the moment Gosset presents the Gosset Grand Millésime 1996. The 1996 vintage is already being compared to the legendary 1928 vintage among many renowned connoisseurs. Such a claim requires a fair amount of courage, and the future will ultimately prove or disprove it. Be that as it may: 1996 is undoubtedly a very important and unusually good vintage of the last century. Renowned author, historian, and critic Tom Stevenson notes that no other vintage in Champagne history has yet been able to combine 10.3% of potential alcohol with 10g of acidity per liter.

Cellar master Jean-Pierre Mareignier paid particularly high respect to this year's precious Chardonnay grape by granting it 62% in the assemblage of the 1996. The remaining 38% were provided by the noble Pinot Noir - all from Grands and Premiers Crus. This excellent Champagne should only get better with further ageing.
Sworn in the traditional production without malolactic fermentation, the cellar master had to give the natural fruit acids a lot of time during storage to integrate them even more advantageously. Tasting notes on the Gosset Grand Millesime 1996 are already plentiful. Common denominators are the typical freshness and fruity nature of Gosset Champagnes. As expected, this '96 exudes the floral bouquet of elegant Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir additionally lends particularly vinous notes. However, it is also noted that it appears challenging and fiery, almost like a young racehorse with an excellent pedigree. Whether the 1996 vintage can compete among Champagnes with the legendary 28 will be seen after the coming years of additional storage. Speculatively, the 96 from Jean-Pierre Mareignier and Gosset has, in my opinion, very good cards innately, since Gosset's champagnes are characterized by special storage ability anyway. Decisions of this kind can also be made after ten to 20 years (or even later) for great vintages. As with some wines, for instance from Burgundy, Bordeaux, or as with Cognac brandies, champagnes from certain houses in the Champagne region often have a high speculative value. Gosset belongs to those houses, which should be paid special attention in this regard.

Gosset has long been known for its classic rosé champagnes. Without exception, they are still considered as particularly important champagnes of the rosé league with predominantly Chardonnay in the assemblage. Currently, Gosset presents the vintageless Gosset Grande Rosé and the Gosset Celebris Rosé 1998.

The Grande Rosé is made from 56% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and an additional 9% red wine from Bouzy and Ambonnay, which accounts for the salmon pink color. This elegant rosé is known for its complex fruit aromas, subtle power and long finish. It is therefore not surprising that it won the gold medal at the famous international tasting 'London International Wine Challenge' in 2001. It is particularly recommended with meat dishes (such as game) that are more substantial in flavour.

The Gosset Celebris Rosé 1998 trumps with 61% of the elegant Chardonnay vines from best sites and plays in additional 32% of the fruity Pinot Noir. Added to this is the finest red wine from Bouzy and Ambonnay, which not only determines the strong salmon colour, but also adds precious vinous attributes. It is considered to be an appetizing aperitif, but it is also recommended to be served with more savoury banquets. It is a beautiful vintage champagne that will certainly be talked about for years to come. This brings us to a few examples of other Gosset Grand Rosé vintage champagnes from long ago, which are still very important among connoisseurs today: Both the '88 and the '90 are currently considered excellent after years of storage. Both still preserve their youth and fragrance, but gain additional suppleness in their advanced age. The exquisite 90er in particular appeared to be outstanding to the renowned wine critic Tom Stevenson a few years ago and beguiled him aromatically with an exotic florality.

The prestige or top cuvées (white or rosé) from the house Gosset bear the (often capitalized) name CELEBRIS. When producing champagnes with this name, no savings are made anywhere. Here it is about the absolute superlative! Only the very best grapes from a vintage of Grand Crus are considered good enough. At Gosset this type of champagne benefits from very special individual care by hand in all phases of production. For example, each bottle is traditionally shaken and disgorged. Particularly long storage in the cool cellars of the house is natural. The Celebris Rosé champagnes have already been discussed above. Among the (white) Celebris champagnes, three different vintages are currently of highest importance in the champagne world: 88, 90, and 95.

The 88s and 90s, for example, are described by the famous wine critic Ed McCarthy as two of the finest champagnes ever tasted in his long career.
Both champagnes also scored with Tom Stevenson in the 90s. Both champagnes are said by many critics to have a great future due to further storage (until 2010, 2015 or even longer). Unfortunately, it is a matter of luck to find an 88er today. The equally fantastic Celebris 1990 is fortunately still available here and there. The 1995 Celebris is currently in circulation and is already confirming itself as an excellent Champagne. In the blend, it contains 46% Chardonnay and 54% Pinot Noir. It is considered to be richly marked with different fruit aromas, perfectly balanced and additionally equipped with a special fieriness.

All Gosset champagnes are simply a special experience to enjoy - an experience that in my opinion no one should miss to get familiar with the 'Gosset Style'. The special fruit, freshness and successful balance that Gosset achieves in the elaborate preparation of its champagnes is something you simply have to experience for yourself. Unfortunately, like many other champagnes, they are not available on every corner. Unlike some other renowned houses, the venerable fame of Gosset is not reflected in the pricing policy. Fame has never made a champagne taste better anyway, so anyone who encounters Gosset champagnes can not only look forward to indescribable pleasure, but also to astonishingly fair prices.