2008 is rightly regarded as the best Champagne vintage of this century producing Champagnes that are, in the words of the Wine Spectator; "...vivid, well-structured wines in a classic style, with fine textural finesse; potentially long-lived." Time and patience are core elements of the of the Celebris persona. Regarding the 2008, Gosset's Cellar Master, Odilon de Varine, says, "It was necessary to wait. After 13 years of maturation, the desired balance is finally achieved. The great wines of Champagne are only revealed after a long maturation." This edition is a blend of 54% Chardonnay predominately from Avize, Chouilly, Cremant and Vertus; and 46% Pinot Noir from Cumières, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Aÿ, Bouzy and Ambonnay. Vinified and aged on the lees to eliminate all risk of premature oxidation. Malolactic fermentation is carefully avoided in order to preserve all the natural fruit aromas of the wine and to allow the wines to undergo longer aging. After disgorgement, de Varine employed a minimal Extra-Brut dosage (4.8 g/l) to maintain the balance between fresh fruit and vinosity without masking the wine's personality and purity. The result is an intricate, beautifully crafted Champagne with a heightened refinement and freshness that is firmly toned with a long, incandescent finish that reveals the salty soul of Champagne's greatest crus.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "Gosset's just-released 2008 Extra-Brut Celebris is showing beautifully out of the gates, offering up sweet aromas of citrus oil, dried white flowers, warm biscuits and nougat, with hints of the dried fruits to come. Medium to full-bodied, racy and layered, with a firm core of fruit that's girdled by tangy acids and a long, penetrating finish, the house's typically tensile style is married with real flesh and weight."
WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS - "A graceful Champagne, showing a sense of finesse to the detailed intersection of bright, buoyant acidity and chalky minerality, with a fine, satiny mousse and flavors of ripe Asian pear, dried white cherry, salted almond, lemon curd and crystallized honey. Long and mouthwatering on the creamy finish, echoing spice and saline notes. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2038. 125 cases imported."
Overall Rating
5 out of 5 Based on 1 Review
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2nd Apr 2024
An exceptional, multi-dimensional triumph
2008 Celebris leaves no doubt that it is an ample, mature Champagne without a hint of frailty or weakness. It initially offers a very pleasant musty scent, reminiscent of a cave or old library books, along with a trace of that type of flavor. The opening aromas also include a harmony of floral notes, followed by a noticeable feeling of fine, silky bubbles. With the flavor of Celebris front and center, it brings to mind what one might call the “Churchill effect,” the splendid, glowing feeling of well-being and balance that he frequently offered to justify his widely reported devotion to Champagne. In other words, Celebris delivers a feeling of incandescence, an apt descriptor used by the winemaker himself in trying to explain the totality of Celebris. On the palate, Celebris offers multiple flavors so well integrated that they require a moment of focus to differentiate—Asian pear, almond (and if you thought about it, salty almond), lemon, grapefruit, a subtle hint of homemade biscuits, accompanied and counter-poised by vibrant, welcome acidity. This complex of sensations arrives on the tongue in the framework of a fleshy, weighty textural feel which fades only after completing a long, minerally finish, faintly tinged with an intimation of chalk.
