Gosset : Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2008

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2008 Gosset

Tasting

Color
The color reveals a deep golden yellow, illuminated by a fine and abundant effervescence.

Nose
The nose reveals a rich and heady bouquet, both wine-like and airy. It opens with floral notes of white flowers, particularly acacia, jasmine and mimosa, accompanied by fruity aromas of pear and mirabelle plum. With aeration, pastry-like nuances emerge, evoking pear tart, vanilla madeleine, ladyfinger biscuit and sabayon. Touches of toasted almonds, hazelnuts and orange zest round out this complex aromatic palette.

Palate
On the palate, this champagne captivates with its remarkable balance between richness and tension. The attack is lively, carried by a preserved malic acidity that gives the wine a mineral, saline structure. The texture proves creamy and generous, with pronounced aromas of pastry, white fruit, greengage plum and citrus. Hints of lime and honey further enrich the palate. The ultra-fine mousse adds an extra touch of delicacy to the whole. The finish, long and penetrating, continues with chalky, saline mineral notes, along with a touch of spice and bitter almonds that give the Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2008 its distinctive signature.

Food and Wine Pairing

The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2008 is the ideal companion for discerning gourmets wishing to share a moment of emotion. It pairs perfectly with aged cheeses or white meats such as poultry, quenelles or veal sweetbreads. This champagne will also surprise when served with delicate fish such as skate or Arctic char. Its structure and complexity make it a gastronomic wine that transcends the traditional role of an aperitif to take its place at the table during refined meals.

Serving and Cellaring

The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2008 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 8 and 10°C. This champagne can be enjoyed now while retaining an exceptional aging potential until around 2038, or even 2040. This longevity is a testament to its remarkable structure and its ability to evolve gracefully over the years.

Other Characteristics

The dosage of this extra brut champagne is 8 g/l, preserving the purity and tension characteristic of the Gosset style.

An exceptional champagne from Champagne, an expression of excellence and rarity

The Estate

Founded in 1584, the House of Gosset is the oldest continuously operating champagne house. Established in Aÿ by Pierre Gosset, winegrower and alderman, it remained a family-owned property for more than four centuries before being acquired in 1994 by the Renaud-Cointreau group, itself a family business. Today, it is led by Jean-Pierre Cointreau as president, with Odilon de Varine as cellar master since 2016. Recognized as a "Living Heritage Company" ("Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant") in 2013, the house stands out for its unique philosophy: to produce wine first and foremost, with the bubbles there only to enhance its expression. This approach is reflected in its refusal of malolactic fermentation and the absence of oak barrel aging, thereby preserving the mineral freshness and tension characteristic of its champagnes.

The Vineyard

Although owning only one hectare of vines outright, Gosset works closely with around two hundred winegrowers spread across some seventy different villages throughout Champagne. The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2008 comes from a rigorous selection of plots located in three distinct terroirs. The Chardonnay comes from villages of the Côte des Blancs, notably Vertus, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Verzy and Trépail, renowned for producing elegant, mineral white wines. The Pinot Noir comes from grand cru and premier cru villages of the Montagne de Reims, including Cumières, Avenay, Aÿ, Bouzy and Ambonnay, known for their structure and complexity. These long-standing relationships with winegrowers allow Gosset to maintain high quality standards and gain access to the best plots in the region.

The Vintage

The 2008 vintage in Champagne was marked by complex weather conditions. The harvest took place under dry, sunny weather, with cool nights that favored the production of elegant, lively and structured wines with strong aging potential. These characteristics perfectly matched the demanding criteria Gosset applies when deciding whether to produce a Celebris. The freshness and structure of the vintage made it possible to craft a champagne capable of improving over the very long term.

Winemaking and Aging

The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2008 benefited from parcel-by-parcel vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks of measured volumes, without malolactic fermentation or oak barrel aging, in keeping with the house's philosophy. This approach preserves the natural malic acidity and the delicate aromas of the grape. The champagne was then aged on the lees for a minimum of twelve years, from tirage until disgorgement, which took place in April 2021. This extended aging on the lees allowed the aromatic complexity and creamy texture to develop while gradually transforming the malic acidity into saline minerality. After disgorgement, the wine rested for at least nine months before release, allowing the dosage to be perfectly integrated.

Grape Varieties

Chardonnay (54%)
Pinot Noir (46%)