Introduction: Cellar master Odilon de Varine comments: “This cuvée benefitted from 12 years of ageing spent on the lees in the bottle. The maturity the wine gained in the cellar will enable further aging whilst keeping freshness!.” Vinified and aged on lees on the lees avoiding premature oxidation. Malolactic fermentation carefully avoided in order to preserve the natural fruit character of the wines in vats and ensure they are perfectly preserved. Brut dosage (7g/l) the balance between freshness, fruitiness and vinosity whilst keeping the character of the wine and its purity. Aged 12 years in the cellar to obtain a complex and fruity wine. Tasting Notes: Bright gold colour with radiant golden hues. On the nose, aromas of summer orchard fruits such as peach or mirabelle plum, citrus peel combined with notes of liquorice mint. Fresh and vivid, it reveals a beautiful maturity which is refined and elegant. The attack is full-bodied and round. During the tasting notes of blood orange, lemon and ginger appear. A long inviting finish, extended by a fresh and salty close, which is the characteristic style of the House. Its personality is strengthened and intensified once breathing. Pairing: This cuvée will go perfectly with sushi, fish or shellfish. It can also be paired with white meats or cheese such as Chaource or Brillat-Savarin. Winemaking: Pinot Noir 51%, Chardonnay 49%, Villages: Chardonnays: Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Villers-Marmery… Pinots Noirs: Aÿ, Louvois, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy… Cellaring: 2007 – 12 years in the cellar Disgorgement: minimum 6 months Dosage: 7 g/l Background Information: Champagne Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne established in Ay in 1584 and is owned by the Cointreau family. The Cointreaus also own Gosset’s sister company, Cognac Frapin, and Jean Pierre is currently C.E.O of both companies. They bought Gosset in 1993 when Albert Gosset of the original Gosset family died. The Cointreaus hold strong the belief that Gosset is a family run business and maintain the hands on approach that was started by the original Gosset family. Situated in the tiny Grand Cru village of Aÿ, 5 kilometres north of Epernay, Gosset has some rather famous neighbours, including Bollinger. However, production is much below that of the larger houses and would struggle to reach the number of bottles produced by Krug in a year. Yearly production has now reached almost 1.3 million bottles. All Gosset champagnes are ‘recently disgorged’ and the house does not undertake malolactic fermentation. This preserves acidity which in turn keeps the wine fresh for much longer. Bottles are removed from one part of the cellar to another every six months, and given a vigorous shake in the process. This reinvigorates any live yeast and is only carried out by a few houses. The Gosset style is very creamy, dry but not acidic, full, biscuity and yeasty. All the cuvees have good bottle age. The champagnes are excellent by themselves or with food.