Gosset Extra Brut Celebris
| Vintage: | 2008 |
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| Description: | Established in A in 1584 by Pierre Gosset, long before Champagne wine had bubbles, Gosset rightfully claims to be the oldest wine house in the region. After Pierre, 16 generations of the family have continued to build upon his work in A, ensuring that Champagne Gosset's savoir-faire, based on the family's traditional craftmanship, lives on. In 1993 Champagne Gosset became part of the family-owned Renaud-Cointreau group which has since made it its mission to preserve the Gosset style. Today the firm is famed for their masterful brut Grande Reserve which is widely regarded as one of Champagne's very best multi-vintage cuves. However, Celebris, the firm's top-of-the-line Champagne, remains something of an under-the-radar treasure. This is because it is a relatively new project (first launched in 1988) and produced only in the very best vintages in minuscule (just 15,000 bottles) quantities. This 2008 was just the eighth edition of Celebris released over a span of 34 years. It was only through a fortuitous liquidation of a French cellar that we were able to acquire a small parcel of this scarce bottling and offer it for the best price on the web. 2008 is rightly regarded as the best Champagne vintage of this century producing Champagnes that are, in the words of the Wine Spectator; ".vivid, well-structured wines in a classic style, with fine textural finesse; potentially long-lived." Time and patience are core elements of the of the Celebris persona. Regarding the 2008, Gosset's Cellar Master, Odilon de Varine, says, "It was necessary to wait. After 13 years of maturation, the desired balance is finally achieved. The great wines of Champagne are only revealed after a long maturation." This edition is a blend of 54% Chardonnay predominately from Avize, Chouilly, Cremant and Vertus; and 46% Pinot Noir from Cumires, Avenay-Val-d'Or, A, Bouzy and Ambonnay. Vinified and aged on the lees to eliminate all risk of premature oxidation. Malolactic fermentation is carefully avoided in order to preserve all the natural fruit aromas of the wine and to allow the wines to undergo longer aging. After disgorgement, de Varine employed a minimal Extra-Brut dosage (4.8 g/l) to maintain the balance between fresh fruit and vinosity without masking the wine's personality and purity. The result is an intricate, beautifully crafted Champagne with a heightened refinement and freshness that is firmly toned with a long, incandescent finish that reveals the salty soul of Champagne's greatest crus. Wine Advocate 95 Points - "Gosset's just-released 2008 Extra-Brut Celebris is showing beautifully out of the gates, offering up sweet aromas of citrus oil, dried white flowers, warm biscuits and nougat, with hints of the dried fruits to come. Medium to full-bodied, racy and layered, with a firm core of fruit that's girdled by tangy acids and a long, penetrating finish, the house's typically tensile style is married with real flesh and weight.". Wine Spectator 96 Points - "a graceful Champagne, showing a sense of finesse to the detailed intersection of bright, buoyant acidity and chalky minerality, with a fine, satiny mousse and flavors of ripe Asian pear, dried white cherry, salted almond, lemon curd and crystallized honey. Long and mouthwatering on the creamy finish, echoing spice and saline notes. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2038. 125 cases imported.". |
| Price: | $ 189.95 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
Available from Hi-Time Wine Cellars
| Address: |
250 Ogle Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 United States |
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| Telephone (toll-free): | 800-331-3005 |
| Telephone (regular): | 949-650-8463 |
| Fax: | 949-631-6863 |
First added to 1000 Corks on February 9, 2024.
