Tasting Notes
A one-off and exceptional wine from Gosset, 100% Pinot Meunier, aged for a full nine years on the lees in Gosset's cellars. The base vintage is 2007, with 10% reserve wines added. The Meunier comes from south-facing vineyards around Epernay, and it is very dry with only 3g/l of residual sugar. The colour immediately speaks of the age of the wine, a burnished yellow/gold, then very fine bubbles and a cushion of mousse, revealing lovely biscuit and toast and a yellow plum fruitiness. It is full and charming. In the mouth it is expansive and creamily rich, the mousse quite luxurious, and the pitch of the acidity - very noticeably saline - gives great freshness to the toasty, creamy, weighty fruit. Just lovely and a real treat to taste a truly exceptional Champagne. The fruit for Gosset's new cuvée has been sourced from vineyards around the town of Epernay, mostly coming from Premier Cru sites, where it is planted alongside Pinot Noir. However, Pinot Meunier is not allowed Premier (or indeed Grand Cru) status, even when planted within these vineyards. Gosset cellarmaster Odilon de Varine selected Meunier from mid-slope, south and east-facing sites, and vines that were between 25 and 30 years old. Malolactic fermentation was blocked, and some Chardonnay lees (the soup of dead yeast cells left after fermentation) were added to bolster the Pinot Meunier's freshness and ageability.It's expensive and will be hard to find with only 5,000 bottles for the world market, but fizz afficionados will surely be very keen to try it for themselves. - Importer Note
Gosset, the oldest wine house in Champagne.
Its history dates back to 1584, some 150 - 200 years before some of the grand household names of Champagne also still around today even came into existence.
Pierre Gosset originally founded the house to produce still red wines, very popular at the time (and for the next century or so) with the kings of France. But of course, in the 18th Century, the Gosset House joined the rising, bubbling revolution in associating the region with the Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wines, severing its tradition of serving still reds to its rolling heads, and writing a new history. Whilst Gosset might today be one of the smallest of the Grande Marque ("great brand") Champagne producers, its history and reputation are deeply embedded with each and every bottle. Literally every bottle- the iconic narrow-necked flasked bottle shape synonymous with the brand has been used by Gosset since that bubbling revolution of the 18th Century!
Gosset work with more than 200 growers in 70-odd Grand and Premier Cru sites around Champagne, and their signature style avoids malolactic fermentation (the conversion of tart, sharp malic acid to buttery, soft lactic acid) to preserve fruit purity and terroir. They are also renowned for the lengthy time the ferments spend maturing on their lees; whilst Champagne dictates that non-vintage cuvées spend 2-3 years resting in the cellar, developing their tertiary characteristics prior to disgorgement and release, Gosset's Grande Réserve spends a minimum of 4 years, and the prestige wines can spend up to 15 years, resulting in cuvées of incredible complexity and ageability.
| Product Type | Wine Sparkling Champagne |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Sub Region | Ay |
| Winemaking Practices | Conventional |
| Vineyard Practices | Conventional |