Gosset "Grand" Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne

A harmonious Champagne, with a satiny mousse, this shows good length and focus to the rich notes of baked plum and apricot fruit, biscuit, smoke and lemon curd. A firm frame of well-cut acidity lends balance. (AN)

This is one of the best bottles of Champagne that I have had in 2020, and I am very excited to offer it to you. For me, greatness in Champagne can only come from a mature wine, and that mature wine must also still have great freshness. I want both. In this bottle, I was treated to plenty of complexity and texture from time on the lees, but also to fabulous chalky freshness thanks to the exceptional terroir of Aÿ, and the lack of malolactic fermentation. I found the wine to have great power and breadth, with a dark-bake sourdough toast and a hint of new leather in the middle of the savory, red Pinot fruit. The long and ultra-bright finish is what makes this wine truly great, as it has the kind of swell that one usually only finds in fine Burgundy, and the cut that only the chalkiest sites in Champagne can deliver. If a splurge is in the budget, don’t miss this one.