Champagne Gosset Grand Blanc de Meunier Extra Brut NV

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.

'The soft and rounded personality of meunier is on grand display here, snapped into sharp focus by the poise of malic acidity. This is a cuvée that cleverly and confidently achieves the precarious balance of upholding the personality of meunier with the complexity of considerable age, achieving this with the inimitable tension and precision of the house. With a full straw hue, the spicy dark berries, dark fruit cake and fruit mince spice of meunier meet the roast nuts and buttered toast of a decade of age.' 93 points, Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide 2020-2021.

Established since 1584, Gosset is one of the smallest Grande Marque Champagne producers. Whilst the champagnes that they produce have never been plentiful in quantity, they have distinguished themselves with the consistently superb quality throughout the entire range of champagnes produced. Remaining a family owned house, the Gosset family sold the business to the Cointreau family in 1994.

Starting with their flagship champagne, the superbly aged Grande Reserve multi-vintage, it is clear that they have sought to exceed all standards required by the region. Firstly, and most strikingly, the presentation is remarkable in heavy dark antique bottles that are unique to Gosset. Instead of aging this champagne for 3 years on lees before bottling, Gosset have aged this blend for four and half years. After bottling, this champagne is then aged a further 6 months in their cool cellars before they permit this champagne to be sold.

From the superbly smooth and well rounded flavours of the Grande Reserve to the elegance and perfume of the brilliant Grand Rose champagne to the incomparable Grand Millesime vintage it is clear that these champagnes have been conceived for the most demanding champagne enthusiast. Whilst the vintage champagnes are only released in the very best years, the cellaring capacity of Gosset champagnes in those select vintages is well documented. At Gosset malolactic fermentation is avoided to ensure sufficient acidity enabling a long evolution.