From: Champagne, France
Varietals: 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier
Taste and Critical Acclaim: A luminous, golden hue. The nose shows freshness and fruit with notes of lemon meringue followed by yellow fruit, including Mirabelle plum and bright pear. Then, as the Champagne warms up, aromas of plums with slightly honeyed and toasted notes start to come through. The Champagne confirms its richness and volume. The Pinot Noir endows it with structure and depth. Hawthorn and white flower aromas fuse naturally together in a fine acidity sustained by a bright lemon highlight.
"A spine of chiseled acidity structures this vivid, creamy Champagne, which has a minerally underpinning of smoke and brine and flavors of Asian pear, baked pineapple, lemon curd, toasted brioche and roasted almond.” —Wine Spectator (AN), 93 points
“This has attractive aromas of apricots, pie crust, raspberries, fresh walnuts and pears, with a hint of white pepper and ginger. Elegant, fine and supple mousse, with a medium body and creamy layers of fresh fruit and pastries. So dry and clean.” —James Suckling, 92 points
“Hints of yeast and toast add interest to the pretty aromas of lemon, green apple and poached pear nuances. There is again solid volume and mid-palate density to the delicious flavors that pick up some of the toasty character displayed by the nose while culminating in a nicely complex and lingering finish. The supporting mousse is firm without being aggressive and overall, this solidly complex effort is drinking very well now.” —Burghound, 91 points
“The nonvintage Champagne cuvée from Gosset is very much in the house style: crisp and without malolactic fermentation. Ripe fruits balance the crispness while some bottle age has allowed the acidity to soften. This is a very fine wine that is ready to drink.” — Wine Enthusiast (RV), 91 points
“Fine elderflower flavours and good balance and composition. Quite persistent.” — Janice Robinson
Pairing: This beautifully balanced Champagne will pair well with a variety of moods and foods. It will feel right at home alongside oysters, clams, buttery crab, and scallops. If you’re enjoying it as an aperitif before a meal, that is great too! It would do great with light appetizers, including stuffed mushrooms, radish toasts with nice butter and salt, smoked salmon, fritters of all persuasions, and even everyday snacks like nachos or an onion dip. Of course, you could also serve this with your favorite fried chicken takeout, fried zucchini, or pan-fried flatfish (sole, halibut, flounder) with a brown butter/lemon/ caper sauce. A classic quiche Lorraine would also be amazing! With all of these options, sometimes its best to return to your favorites. Enter: fried potatoes in the form of Lidey Heuck’s recipe for Hasselback Potatoes.
About. Founded in Aÿ in 1584 by Pierre Gosset, Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne. Over the next four centuries, generations of the Gosset family would go on to wine fame not only as alderman, mayors and magistrates in Aÿ, but also in growing and trading the wines of Champagne. Whatever the period, the men and women of the Gosset family have looked to a single ambition—to improve their terroir.
In 1993, after more than 400 years of family ownership, Champagne Gosset was purchased by the Renaud-Cointreau family, who also owns and manages the highly regarded Cognac Frapin. The Renaud-Cointreaus insist on a continuity of the old-style champagne appropriate to its historic birthplace in Aÿ. While other Champagne houses are handing over the reins to large corporations, the Renaud-Cointreau family understands the importance of preserving the heritage in winemaking that has, over 430 years, made Champagne Gosset the ultimate name in champagne. In 2009, Champagne Gosset announced the acquisition of a new property in the heart of Épernay, which doubles the cellar space and serves as an extension to its production facilities in Aÿ.
Champagne Gosset’s reputation for quality starts in the vineyard, where it sources grapes almost entirely from premier cru and grand cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs, Grand Vallée de la Marne, and Montagne de Reims. These vineyards rate an average of 95 percent on the “échelle des crus,” or “ladder of growths,”—the classification system of the villages in the Champagne region. The top-rated villages are given a score of 100 percent and are called grand crus; currently there are 17 such villages. The next tier has scores ranging from 90 to 99 percent; these are the premier cru villages, of which there are 44. The remaining 296 crus have scores between 80 and 89 percent.
Champagne Gosset has long-term relationships with growers that date back several generations, allowing the winemaking team to direct activity in the vineyards.