Heritage in motion

For more than five centuries, the Gosset name has been woven into the winemaking history of Champagne. As early as 1484, the family was already producing wines in the region, a century before the House itself was founded in Aÿ. It is a long-standing history shaped by a pursuit of excellence and the passing down of expertise that, over generations, has become a signature in its own right.

It is this culture of time and continuity that the Trophée Gosset celebrates today. Its 31st edition honours Antoine Gosset, the last member of the family to have headed the House. Created in 1995 to recognise chefs and sommeliers, the award gradually broadened its scope to celebrate those committed to preserving and passing on both tangible and intangible heritage. Since 2021, it has recognised figures from the worlds of craftsmanship, culture, conservation and creative practice.

A member of the fourteenth generation of the Gosset family, Antoine joined the family House in 1983 following the death of his brother Étienne. As Managing Director and Director of Sales for France and international markets, he was the last Gosset to lead the House before it was handed over to the Cointreau family in 1993. Under his leadership, the House doubled its sales, while he helped extend its reputation for excellence far beyond France. His career embodies another dimension of savoir-faire: the transmission of a culture and a vision, beyond the gestures of craftsmanship alone.

By honouring Antoine Gosset, the House is therefore celebrating not only an individual journey, but a collective memory — that of generations who have shaped an identity and perpetuated a distinctive way of doing things. Today, this continuity is also recognised institutionally: Gosset is both a member of Excellence Française and certified as an Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV — Living Heritage Company), while also contributing to the heritage of the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This recognition is a reminder that living heritage is never simply about preserving the past: it draws upon it, continually reinterpreting it in order to remain alive.

Underlying the Trophée Gosset is an idea deeply rooted in the world of creation: excellence is not only about the outcome, but also about transmission. From material to gesture, and from gesture to culture, savoir-faire becomes heritage in motion. It is precisely this ability to create a dialogue between legacy and contemporary creation that gives the Maison Gosset’s approach its full meaning today.•

photos : Champagne Gosset