Gosset 2012 Celebris Extra Brut Champagne 750ml

Celebris is genuinely rare — Gosset's prestige cuvée, produced only in exceptional years and in small lots, first launched in 1995 with the 1988 vintage, and the 2012 is only the ninth release in the cuvée's history. Gosset itself claims the title of Champagne's oldest wine house, and Celebris represents what the producer calls "a quintessence of their flagship Grande Réserve," built from 70% Chardonnay for elegance and minerality and 30% Pinot Noir for fruitiness and structure, sourced from Gosset's own vineyards across villages including Ambonnay, Avize, Aÿ, Bouzy, Cramant, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.

What genuinely sets this release apart is its patience: the 2012 spent 12 years on the lees, including one year in vat, before being disgorged in March 2025 at a restrained dosage of 5.5 g/L — a deliberately lean, "deliciously austere" style, as James Suckling put it. Just 25,000 bottles were made.

The critical reception has been genuinely exceptional. Wine Enthusiast and Vinous each scored the wine 96 Points. Decanter awarded 95, with Wine Advocate's William Kelley at 95+, Jeb Dunnuck at 94-95, and Wine Spectator and James Suckling at 94 each. Vinous called it "one of the most polished Champagnes I have tasted from Gosset in some time," with "dried lemon confit, chamomile, white pepper and salt" racing "across the palate." William Kelley's review described "aromas of citrus oil, verbena, freshly baked bread, green apple and wet stones," followed by "a medium to full-bodied, deep and incisive palate that's layered, concentrated and tensile, with a tangy spine of acidity (the house's trademark) and a long, saline finish." Jeb Dunnuck found "layered complexity in its aromas of quince, fresh apple blossoms, and pure honey without being oxidative." James Suckling described "lemon zest, green apples, subtle sourdough bread and chalk," "limey and intense, showing fine beads, laserlike acidity and penetrative saline flavors." World of Fine Wine's Neil Beckett awarded a remarkable 97 points, noting "a fragrance pleasingly reminiscent of great white Burgundy, with lime and linden," and that the wine should "drink well for another decade, maybe more." Gismondi on Wine's tasting found "button mushroom, crystalline lemon, and vanilla wafer" woven "on the layered, deep palate, with a buzzy, chalky hum, and lingering salinity on the finish." This is genuinely one of the most celebrated, patient Champagnes of an outstanding vintage — real rarity, with a decade or more of cellaring ahead.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Gosset 2012 Celebris Extra Brut is produced by Champagne Gosset, based in Aÿ, Champagne, France, widely considered the region's oldest wine house. The 2012 is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, produced only in exceptional years and only in small lots — the ninth release since the cuvée's 1995 debut. The wine aged 12 years on the lees, including one year in vat, before disgorgement in March 2025, finished with a dosage of 5.5 g/L. Production totaled 25,000 bottles. Bottled at 12% ABV, 750ml.

Critics Reviews

Wine Enthusiast — 96 Points

Vinous — 96 Points:
"The 2012 Brut Celebris is one of the most polished Champagnes I have tasted from Gosset in some time. Dried lemon confit, chamomile, white pepper and salt all race across the palate."

Decanter — 95 Points

William Kelley, Wine Advocate — 95+ Points:
"Gosset's emblematic Chardonnay-dominant 2012 Extra-Brut Celebris is a more than worthy successor to the 2008, unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, verbena, freshly baked bread, green apple and wet stones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and incisive palate that's layered, concentrated and tensile, with a tangy spine of acidity (the house's trademark) and a long, saline finish."

Jeb Dunnuck — 94-95 Points:
"The ninth time the Celebris has been produced in over 400 years, the 2012 Champagne Celebris is exceptional, with layered complexity in its aromas of quince, fresh apple blossoms, and pure honey without being oxidative."

Wine Spectator — 94 Points

James Suckling — 94 Points:
"Vinous and ample with huge depth and concentration, complex but not loud. Integrated yeastiness and a hint of sour cream join lemon zest, green apples, subtle sourdough bread and chalk. Limey and intense, showing fine beads, laserlike acidity and penetrative saline flavors. Long, compact finish. 12 years on the lees, including one year in vat. Deliciously austere at a dosage of 5.5 g/L. Disgorged March 2025. 25,000 bottles made. Drink or hold."

Neil Beckett, World of Fine Wine — 97 Points (Dec 2023):
"After a little time in the glass, a fragrance pleasingly reminiscent of great white Burgundy, with lime and linden; and after a little longer still, spicier, white-pepper notes. Exceptionally complex and beguiling, the 2012 will drink well for another decade, maybe more."

Gismondi on Wine — 93 Points:
"Button mushroom, crystalline lemon, and vanilla wafer are woven on the layered, deep palate, with a buzzy, chalky hum, and lingering salinity on the finish."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Bright gold with emerald glints. Poached yellow apple and kumquat lead, joined by puff pastry and vanilla cream, alongside citrus oil, verbena, freshly baked bread, and wet stone.

Palate
Medium to full-bodied, layered and tensile, with dried lemon confit and chamomile carrying real depth, developing white pepper, morello cherry, and button mushroom, framed by buoyant, laser-like acidity.

Finish
Long and saline, closing with lingering chalky minerality — genuinely austere and complete.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Shellfish, crab, and lobster
• Rich fish (salmon, tuna)
• Soft, mild cheeses
• Pork