Louis Latour Agencies

The Gosset Carafe – giving the wine a breath of air

14 May 2018

Champagne Gosset’s wines spend many years quietly ageing in bottle before release. During this time a myriad of aromas and flavours develop however these can remain hidden when pouring immediately from the bottle to a glass.

To remedy this problem Gosset recommend a passage en carafe. This French custom differs from decanting, the wine is gently poured into a carafe and left for just a few moments before serving. This brief action allows the wine to take a breath a reveal its full character. Some champagnes, such as a vintage, will benefit from this opening exercise rather than pouring directly into an overly wide glass.

The use of a decanter is by no means a new practice at Champagne Gosset. In fact it is intimately linked to the service of their wines. With the introduction of a new House Carafe, they invite you to share the practice. The main aim of the carafe is to emphasize the character of a terroir, of the wine’s origin, of a specific blend, by allowing the aromas to be fully expressed.

The shape of the carafe is simply inspired by the curved shape of Gosset’s antique bottle. For the full history of the bottle click here. Its capacity of just over 1 litre, allows for optimum contact with the air and moderates its impact on the wine. It brings an aromatic expressiveness, a fullness on the mid-palate and a balanced finish. The effect of the wine can be compared to that of a Magnum – the ideal format for Champagne.

“‘Le passage en carafe’ allows the wine to breath after several years of patient maturation, to finally show its true colours and to show itself at its best.” Odilon de Varine, Cellar-Master