Champagne Gosset is regarded as the oldest wine house in Champagne. Founded in Aÿ in 1584, it makes Champagne in a fresh, precise style, because its wines never go through malolactic fermentation. Here you will find Grande Réserve and Grand Rosé alongside the prestige cuvée Celebris Rosé and the long-aged 12 Ans de Cave Rosé.
Gosset in Aÿ: the oldest wine house in Champagne since 1584
The story begins with Pierre Gosset, an alderman of Aÿ who farmed his own vineyards. He made still wines, mostly red, because sparkling wine was not yet part of the region's tradition. Only in the eighteenth century, when the wines around Aÿ began to sparkle, did the family turn to Champagne. Gosset stayed in family hands for more than 400 years, until the house was sold in the 1990s to the Renaud-Cointreau family, who also own the Cognac house Frapin.
In 2009 Gosset bought new premises in Épernay, with parkland, nineteenth-century buildings and around 1.7 kilometres of cellars. Aÿ remains the registered home of the house, and part of the production is still there. Aÿ is also home to Champagne Bollinger and is known for its grand cru Pinot Noir vineyards.
The Gosset style: no malolactic fermentation, long ageing on the lees
What sets Gosset apart from most other Champagne houses is that its wines do not undergo malolactic fermentation. The natural malic acidity is kept, which gives Champagnes with taut freshness, tension and long ageing potential. In return the wines spend a long time on their lees in the cellar, building depth and complexity before they are released.
The grapes come almost entirely from grand cru and premier cru sites in the Côte des Blancs, the Grande Vallée de la Marne and the Montagne de Reims. The blends are built on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with Chardonnay often taking the lead. The cellar master is Odilon de Varine.
Gosset Champagnes: from Grande Réserve to Celebris Rosé
Grande Réserve Brut is the house classic, a blend of the three Champagne grapes with a share of reserve wine, also available as a half bottle. Extra Brut has a low dosage and shows the house style in its purest form. Grand Rosé Brut is Chardonnay-led, with Pinot Noir and a small share of red wine from Bouzy and Ambonnay, and sits naturally among our rosé Champagne. Grand Millésime is the vintage Champagne from grand and premier cru sites, here from 2016 and the mature 2000.
At the top sits Celebris, the prestige cuvée, made only in selected vintages. The rosé version is rarer still, and Celebris Rosé from 2007 and 2008 is part of the range here. The Ans de Cave à Minima series covers Champagnes that have spent at least as many years in the cellar as the name says, and 12 Ans de Cave Rosé is a rare example. Petite Douceur Rosé Extra Dry is the softer, gently sweet style, a good match for red fruit desserts.
Frequently asked questions about Champagne Gosset
Where is Champagne Gosset based?
Gosset was founded in Aÿ in the Vallée de la Marne, and Aÿ is still the home of the house. Since 2009 Gosset has also had cellars and production in Épernay.
Why does Gosset taste so fresh?
Because the wines skip malolactic fermentation. The crisp malic acidity is preserved, while the long ageing on the lees adds richness and complexity.
What is Gosset Celebris?
Celebris is the prestige cuvée of the house. It is made only in selected vintages, the rosé in even fewer, and both are built for long cellaring.
Are all Champagnes named Gosset from the same house?
No. Other Champagne producers also carry the Gosset name. This page only lists Champagnes from the house of Gosset, founded in 1584.