Gosset, founded in 1584, is the oldest wine house in
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
. In 1584, Pierre Gosset, alderman of
Aÿ and wine-grower, made still, mostly red, wines from the grapes he harvested from his own vines. In those days, two wines vied for pride of place at the table to the
Kings of France
France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions.
Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the fi ...
: the wine of Aÿ and, from some hundreds of leagues further South, the wine of Beaune. Then, in the 18th century the wine made in around Aÿ began to bubble and the Gosset family turned naturally to the production of champagne.
History
In 1994, the house was sold to the Renaud-Cointreau group (family owned and also the owners of Cognac Frapin). Under the new management, Gosset succeeded in increasing its production to one million bottles in 2005. The house is now successfully headed by Jean-Pierre Cointreau and exports 65% of its production to more than 70 countries. In 2009, as he prepared to celebrate Gosset’s 425th birthday, Jean-Pierre Cointreau took the decision to buy new premises in
Epernay: 2 hectares of parkland with buildings dating back to the 19th century, 1.7 km of cellars with a storage capacity of 2,5 million bottles and a cuverie of 26.000 hectoliters. Part of the production is still in Aÿ which remains Gosset’s registered office. Today the US importer is
Napa Valley
Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
-based Wilson Daniels.
Wines
Gosset wines are made from a blend of
Pinot noir
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
,
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...
and
Pinot Meunier. The house is known for its slightly sweet ''Brut Excellence'' and its
vintage
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In cer ...
prestige
cuvée
''Cuvée''Or Cuvee on some English-language labels. () is a French wine term that derives from ''cuve'', meaning vat or tank.J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 218, Oxford University Press 2006, winepros.com. ...
''Célebris'' and ''Grand Millésime''. The house also produced a commemorative wine the ''Quatrième Centenaire''.
[ K. Gargett, P. Forrestal, & C. Fallis ''The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine'' pg 165 Global Book Publishing 2004 ]
*''Grande Réserve Brut'' (Non-vintage). A blend of 46%
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...
, 39%
Pinot noir
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
, and 15%
Pinot Meunier. 12% reserve wines with an average age of 2 years.
[The Wine Doctor: Gosset](_blank)
/ref> In the 1980s, the blend had been 65% Pinot noir and 35% Chardonnay.Tom Stevenson
Tom Stevenson (born 1951) is a British wine writer and critic. Described by his colleagues as one of today's most prolific wine authors, Stevenson is regarded as the world's leading authority on Champagne.christies.coChristie’s Champagne M ...
, Champagne, Sotheby's Publications 1986 at p. 214.jeroboam
Jeroboam I (; Hebrew: ''Yārŏḇə‘ām''; el, Ἱεροβοάμ, Hieroboám) was the first king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The Hebrew Bible describes the reign of Jeroboam to have commenced following a revolt of the ten northern Is ...
(fully bottled in jeroboam from the beginning of the making)
*''Grand Rosé Brut'' (Non-vintage). 56% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot noir Grand Cru and 9% red wines from Bouzy
Bouzy () is a commune of the Marne department in northeastern France, the Montagne de Reims subregion of Champagne.
Population
Champagne
The village's vineyards are located in the Montagne de Reims subregion of Champagne, and are classified ...
and Ambonnay
Ambonnay () is a commune in the Marne department in northeastern France.
Population
Champagne
The village's vineyards are located in the Montagne de Reims subregion of Champagne, and are classified as Grand Cru (100%) in the Champagne viney ...
. Also available in magnum and half bottle
*''Grand Millésime Brut'' (Vintage, latest is 2012). 56% Chardonnay and 44% Pinot noir from grand and premier cru vineyards. In the 1980s, the blend was 60% Pinot noir and 40% Chardonnay.
/ref>
*''Celebris Rosé Extra Brut'' (Vintage, latest is 2007)
Previous wines
* ''Cuvée Quatrième Centenaire'' (Non-vintage Prestige Cuvée). This wine was produced in 1984 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the foundation of Gosset and contained some wine from the 1971 vintage. It was a blend of 36% Pinot noir and 63% Chardonnay. Less than 2,500 cases were produced. Bottles were numbered. Numbers 1-200 were for the use of the Gosset family, 201-1,500 were magnums and numbers 1,501 to 2,500 were other sizes.
See also
* Champagne Riots of 1911
*French wine
French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world, along with Italian, Spanish, and Ame ...
* List of Champagne houses
The listing below comprises some of the more prominent houses of Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific ...
References
External links
Champagne Gosset
{{wines
1584 establishments in France
Champagne producers