It’s hard not to love the Champagne, and we always on the lookout for exciting bottles like Gosset Petite Douceur Rosé Extra Dry. It was part of our wine club annual Bubbles and Sabrage Party, and we loved it.
These bubbles came from the oldest known winery in the Champagne region. Gosset traces its origins back to Pierre Gosset and the year 1584. While it’s the oldest winery in the area, it wasn’t’ the first to produce bubbles.
Wines were produced here for 16 generations and 410 years, under the Gosset family ownership until it was sold in 1994 to Cointreau, another famous French family. Since then, they expanded to a new production facility, but the chef de caves and oenologist remained the same, as did winemaking techniques. In twenty-five years, Cointreau more than doubled the production without sacrificing the quality.
Gosset’s reputation for excellence starts on the vines. Its champagnes are composed almost entirely of grapes from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. Unlike most champagne producers, this Champagne house purposely avoids malolactic fermentation to create distinctly fruity and refreshing bubbles.
Keeping with tradition, they always perform riddling and disgorging of prestige cuvées and large-format bottles by hand. Gosset champagnes are made with infinite care and kept in the dark cellars for at least three years – and up to five for vintage and prestige cuvées – before release.
Gosset Petite Douceur Rosé
Petite Douceur Rosé Extra Dry is from the Héritage series of Gosset Champagne. It’s made with 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir of which 7% is a red wine that contributes to the color of the bubbles. Grapes came from Bouzy, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Ambonnay, Cumières villages.
Petite Douceur vinified and aged on lees to eliminate all risk of premature oxidation. As with all their bubbles, malolactic fermentation is carefully avoided to preserve all the natural fruit aromas of the wine and to allow the wines to undergo more extended aging.
Appearance
Pretty salmon pink with the hue of ruby cherry with fine bubbles.
Aromas
A combination of ripe strawberries and raspberries with notes of orange-lemon merengue. As it warmed up, a red apple and minerality followed.
Flavors and Texture
Mousse feels in between creamy to fine. In tune with aromas, it starts with strawberry and raspberry and continues with blood orange, grapefruit, and Meyers lemon.
Typically, extra-dry means that it’s a sweeter style of Champagne. In the case of Petite Douceur Rosé Extra Dry (17 grams of sugar per liter), it maintains its fruity and refreshing character, while providing a trace of sweetness.
Pairing
The delicate balance of this exquisite cuvée makes it almost perfect companion from aperitif through to fruit-based desserts.
Gosset style has a lot of character, spine, and intensity. Their bubbles tend to be on the drier side and are not for every taste. It may be a disadvantage in younger wines, but it gives them an edge with age.
Petite Douceur Rosé Extra Dry is the softer side of Gosset and a great option to get acquainted with this Champagne house.