Gosset Grand Millesime Brut 1996

I was fortunate enough to sample this wine on tasting once. At that time I thought very little of Champagne and simply shrugged it off. Having left the store an hour later however, I noticed that the finish had not yet left my palate. After several months of mental foreplay with this wine - I decided to take the plunge and source one. To my regret, this wine is very rare, as it is an excellent Champagne for one, and of the 1996 vintage (the best vintage experienced in Champagne for over 300-years).

Several further months had passed and I managed to find one of these sitting in the corner of a shop, without futher adu; I made it my own. Perhaps I had placed too many expectations on this wine, but nevertheless it did not dissapoint.

Fine and pale in colour, very sparse bead, almost non-existent, just a stream or two of the tiniest bubbles. Glorious aroma on the nose, of fresh hazelnut and toasty brioche. On the palate, similarly fine, firm acidity. With just a little creamy edge to the feel on the palate, which shows sparkling minerals alongside more nutty character. You are left with a finish that is desperately characterful, mineral infused length.

It was not as good as I had remembered, or dreamt of, but it was nonetheless a very impressive wine, good enough to give a Dom Perignon a good run for its money at half the price.

RR Price: AU$130 upward
Source: Bottle store
Rating: 92 pts