Day One
7.00hrs:
Pre-coffee and half an hour in advance, I arrive at St Pancras for my first trip in the wine industry. I have never met the people I'm about to spend the next two days with and the nerves are kicking in!
7.30hrs:
I have found the group and it feels like the first day of school as we all begin cautiously to get to know each other with the usual polite, introductory questions. Slowly, with my coffee in one hand and almond croissant in the other, I begin to feel more human on this early Monday morning.
8.31hrs:
On Eurostar - next stop Paris...
9.30hrs:
*POP* and the first of many bottles of bubbly is open. What an ice-breaker and special treat to start the working week!
Tasting notes: Gosset Brut Excellence NV (45% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay and 13% Pinot Meunier). Refreshing and elegant. Good body. Stone fruit with notes of minerality and spice.
11.47hrs:
... Ohhh laa laa, on arrive à Paris Gare du Nord and the first port of call is the boulangerie - mais bien sûr !
12.58hrs:
Après notre petite pause à Paris, we get on the TGV and head for our final destination - Champagne.
13.44hrs:
We arrive in Reims and hop on a bus straightaway to see the vineyards of Champagne. It is the start of October and the majority of the grape picking has just taken place. There are still some vines with grapes on and with the changing seasons, the colours of the leaves on the vines are beautiful.
One of the most beautiful viewpoints is in Verzenay in the Montagne de Reims. Here, far from the sea, is none other than a lighthouse! It was built in 1909 by Joseph Goulet and has a stunning view across the vineyards.
The area is also historically interesting as in and around Reims suffered greatly during the First World War. Although it was rebuilt after the war, there is still damage from the shelling.
... Après une petite sieste, on visite la cathédrale de Reims. The cathedral's architecture is breathtaking. It is named Notre-Dame de Reims, which means 'Our Lady', same as Notre-Dame in Paris.
Historical fact no. 1: the kings of France were once crowed here.
Historical fact no. 2: the English captured Reims and its cathedral in the Hundred Years' War. It was only in 1429 that it was liberated by Joan of Arc from the English and Charles VII was able to be crowned king at the Notre-Dame de Reims.
Historical fact no. 3: Some of the statues on the cathedral are headless. They were beheaded during the French Revolution.
After looking around the cathedral, we head for a 'Chocolat Viennois' before heading to 'Le Wine Bar' - Reims very own Champagne bar. Here we open more bubbly as an aperitif before our Gosset dinner.
19h00:
The dinner has been specially organised such that each course is complimented by a different Gosset Champagne:
- First course: Grand Blanc de Blancs Brut - light, crisp & refreshing. Subtle, elegant citrus and mineral notes.
- Second course: Grande Reserve Brut - full-bodied, elegant and smooth. Some floral and fruit notes; marzipan.
- Main course: Celebris Vintage 1998 Extra Brut - amazing. Perfect balance of elegance and rich fullness. Stone fruit, minerality and frangipane. Complex and rounded with a long finish.
- Dessert: Grand Rosé Brut - red berry fruit. Matched with Crème Brulée.
After the delicious Champagne dinner, we finish the evening by tasting two different Cognacs by Frapin. Both Frapin and Gosset are owned by the tradition-focused yet forward-thinking Renaud-Cointreau family.
- Frapin VSOP - fruity and floral notes with a hint of vanilla.
- Château de Fontpinot XO - wonderful balance and length with complex notes of vanilla, apricots and floral nuances.
Day Two
We spend the second and final day of the trip in Epernay. Gosset is traditionally based in Ay but has purchased a house in Epernay in the last few years that previously belonged to Laurent Perrier.
Before visiting the Gosset house, we wander down the Avenue de Champagne, where you will find the most well-known Champagne houses all in one avenue from Moet et Chandon to Pol Roger, Perrier Jouet, Veuve Clicquot and many more.
We head onto Gosset and start by visiting the striking 1.5km cellars. The cellar is filled with bottles as Gosset is conscious only to sell a limited number of its bottles each year, guarding the rest to be sold in future years once aged for a longer period.
There are also engravings on the walls from soldiers inhabiting the caves during WWII.
At the end of one tunnel in the Champagne cellar, there is a statue of the God of Wine (either Dionysus - the Greek God of Wine or Bacchus - the Roman God of Wine).
Riddling of larger than 75cl bottles take place by hand in the cellars. This is when the bottles have been aged on the lees (residual yeast from fermentation / ageing) and before disgorging the Champagne (removing the lees). Riddling: the bottles are put at a 45 degree angle with the bottle top facing downwards and are turned once every couple of days so that the lees are slowly pushed to the head of the bottle.
If the pressure is too high, then the bottle explodes when turned!
After the tour of the cellar, we visit the vats where the fermentation takes place and then where the corks are put in at the final stage of the Champagne production. It was fascinating to see the shape of the cork before entering the Champagne bottles!
We taste the delectable soon-to-be-released 2004 vintage and have our final meal "à la Gosset" before catching the Eurostar back to London.
A la votre et à la prochaine fois !
Twenty questions is a brilliant game for 'guess the wine'. It is fun for all involved - from the omniscient Master of Wine to those who simply enjoy a casual glass from time to time.
- Everyone brings a bottle in a sock and takes it in turn to be the one questioned about their 'socked' wine.
