Managed by Michel and Christian Gosset, working with plots in Ay, Mareuil sur Ay, Dizy, Avenay Val d’Or and Chouilly, this house produces one of the drinkable Champagnes around!
I make a point to visit at least once a year to pick up a few cases of their Premier Cru with it’s delightfully fruity palate and great balance without ever being too complicated.
The Reserve Grand Cru is a step up in precision but at the same time requires the palate to be switched on. The same can be said for his single varietal wine Noirs d’Ay. I have yet to access these wines at their peak, as I believe they demand some time in the bottle, and glass, to truly express themselves in a manner with which I expect.
Cuvee Gabriel, his vintage wine, shows a wonderful deep golden hue and lovely ruby and red fruit nose. The palate is all red fruit skin with a sweet toasty end note. I was seduced. However, on investigating some of his older wines, which are available under the label Cuvee de Collection, I found this slightly stewed note in a number of vintages. Lacking depth in the mid-palate, especially noticeable in a vintage like 1995 or 1996 where you expect so much. They are, I stress, still extremely fun wines to try, I was just hoping for a touch more…