49°02′14″N3°57′52″E / 49.0371601°N 3.9643083°E /49.0371601; 3.9643083
Gosset, founded in 1584, is the oldest wine house inChampagne. In 1584, Pierre Gosset, alderman ofAÿ and wine-grower, made still, mostly red, wines from the grapes he harvested from his own vines. In those days, two wines vied for pride of place at the table to theKings of France: the wine of Aÿ and, from some hundreds of leagues further south, the wine ofBeaune. Then, in the 18th century the wine made in around Aÿ began to bubble and the Gosset family turned naturally to the production of champagne.[1]
In 1994, the house was sold to the Renaud-Cointreau group (family owned and also the owners of Cognac Frapin). Under the new management, Gosset succeeded in increasing its production to one million bottles in 2005. The house is now successfully headed by Jean-Pierre Cointreau and exports 65% of its production to more than 70 countries. In 2009, as he prepared to celebrate Gosset’s 425th birthday, Jean-Pierre Cointreau took the decision to buy new premises inEpernay: 2 hectares of parkland with buildings dating back to the 19th century, 1.7 km of cellars with a storage capacity of 2.5 million bottles and a cuverie of 26,000 hectoliters. Part of the production is still in Aÿ which remains Gosset’s registered office.
Gosset wines are made from a blend ofPinot noir,Chardonnay andPinot Meunier. The house is known for its slightly sweetBrut Excellence and itsvintage prestigecuvéeCélebris andGrand Millésime. The house also produced a commemorative wine theQuatrième Centenaire.[2]
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