Gosset : Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2012

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2012 Gosset

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a luminous white gold with intense golden hues, enhanced by a fine and persistent effervescence.

Nose

The bouquet stands out with a captivating aromatic restraint and remarkable precision. It initially reveals a delicate tapestry of white flowers and sweet peas, accompanied by candied lemon and subtle pastry notes with a discreet touch of vanilla. As the champagne warms in the glass, indulgent aromas of pear and almond tart emerge. After aeration, the nose evolves toward notes reminiscent of great white Burgundies, with touches of lime and linden blossom, followed gradually by nuances of white pepper.

Palate

This well-structured champagne offers depth, tension, and beautiful density. The attack on the palate is elegant, finely taut yet not rigid, with the tension of a perfectly tuned violin string. The palate reveals notes of citrus and vanilla flower on the attack, evolving toward flavors of redcurrants, raspberries, and yellow-fleshed red cherries. The house's characteristic acidity remains present, accompanied by a lovely salinity. The champagne melts gradually and gracefully into a sparkling, ethereal finish of great delicate and saline persistence, demonstrating remarkable aging potential.

Food and Wine Pairing

The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2012 is ideally enjoyed as an aperitif or paired with refined dishes. It pairs particularly well with exotic cuisines, white meats such as veal with pineapple or pork with prunes, poultry with lemongrass, as well as noble fish such as monkfish, salt-crusted sea bass, or steamed fish. Thanks to its characteristic acidity and salinity, this champagne pairs remarkably well with seafood, and especially oysters. For dessert, it elegantly accompanies a fresh fruit salad or an apricot and basil tart.

Serving and Aging

The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2012 can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve beautifully thanks to its remarkable aging potential.

Other Characteristics

Dosage: 5.5 g/l
Alcohol content: 12%

An Exceptional Champagne from Champagne, the Expression of a Remarkable Vintage

The Estate

Founded in 1584 by Pierre Gosset in Aÿ, the House of Gosset is a historic reference. It is among the oldest houses in Champagne. After more than four centuries of family ownership passed down through sixteen generations, it joined the Renaud-Cointreau family group, now Iconics Nectars, in 1993. Based in Épernay since 2009, Gosset is led by Jean-Pierre Cointreau and Odilon de Varine, cellar master since 2006. The house is distinguished by three fundamental pillars: the systematic absence of malolactic fermentation to preserve natural freshness, extended aging on the lees to develop complexity and finesse, and a philosophy summed up by the historic quote, “At Gosset, we produce wine first; the bubbles only enhance it.” Recognizable by its period bottle used since 1760 and its unique medallion label, Gosset crafts its champagnes from grapes sourced from 140 hectares spread across Champagne, working with more than 200 winegrowers from around 70 villages.

The Vineyard

The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2012 is crafted from grapes sourced from twelve prestigious villages in Champagne: Ambonnay, Avenay, Avize, Aÿ, Bouzy, Cuis, Cramant, Grauves, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Louvois, Trépail, and Villers-Marmery. These plots are spread across the region's three most prestigious areas: the Côte des Blancs, the Montagne de Reims, and the Vallée de la Marne. The soils are composed of chalky limestone, an essential characteristic of Champagne's terroir. All supplying wine estates must obtain recognized environmental certification, as the house is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Vintage

The 2012 vintage presented significant climatic challenges, with losses due to frost followed by hail, a difficult flowering period, and a harvest that stretched over more than a month. Nevertheless, considered by Odilon de Varine to be the best vintage of the decade, 2012 revealed remarkably interesting potential alcohol and acidity levels, close to 10% and 8 g/l respectively. The Chardonnay showed exceptional character with great structure and depth, allowing for the creation of an exceptional champagne.

Winemaking and Aging

The Celebris Vintage Extra Brut 2012 was vinified in stainless steel in the house's characteristic style, without malolactic fermentation, in order to preserve the natural acidity and freshness of the grapes. A particular technique was employed: adding Chardonnay lees to the Pinot Noir, a method first used for the 1990 Celebris, bringing additional freshness and minerality. The champagne benefited from a minimum of 10 years of cellar aging, beginning in April 2013, with more than 9 years of maturation on the lees. Disgorgement took place in January 2023, followed by at least 9 months of rest in the cellar before release. This cuvée represents only the ninth edition of Gosset Celebris since the inaugural 1988, launched in 1995, underscoring the exceptional nature of this production.

Grape Varieties

Chardonnay (70%)
Pinot Noir (30%)