Philipponnat and the Magic of Clos des Goisses
Summary
The Champagne house Philipponnat has existed for just over 100 years. The family has been growing grapes in Champagne for centuries. Today the house is led by Charles Philipponnat. The foundation of its success lies in high-quality grapes and a clear focus on terroir and craftsmanship. Vintage Champagnes have gained significantly in quality through barrel aging.
But in truth, only Clos des Goisses really interests connoisseurs.
Clos des Goisses
The Vineyard
This plot is one of the most famous in Champagne. It lies in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, the highest-rated Premier Cru in the region. The vineyard is enclosed by a wall and covers 5.5 hectares. It slopes steeply south toward the Marne.
Clos des Goisses is considered the warmest site in the area, yet the fine chalk soil provides freshness, minerality and exceptional finesse. The wine has enormous aging potential and evolves over many years.
The Cuvées
Clos des Goisses: This vintage Champagne is made exclusively from the exceptional single vineyard Clos des Goisses described above. The Pinot Noir proportion ranges from 60–80 %, with Chardonnay accounting for 20–40 %. Clos des Goisses is barrel-fermented without malolactic fermentation. It is a very demanding Champagne in youth, showing little fruit and instead an oxidative nuttiness that only develops a fantastic spectrum of aromas with age. Its aging potential is enormous. The house cellars contain magnificent very old bottles of Clos des Goisses.
Today one should normally be drinking the 1979. The vintages 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013, however, form the greatest series this legendary site has ever produced. The 2008 is rather lean and mineral and does not fully meet expectations for this powerful, concentrated Champagne that can sometimes reach 13 % alcohol.
Les Cintres: Micro-terroir cuvée from old vines in the heart of Clos des Goisses, showing pronounced minerality and structure.
Clos des Goisses Juste Rosé: This Champagne ranks among the very best rosés in Champagne. It lacks the strawberry and raspberry-cake aromas of many rosés and instead resembles a sparkling Pinot Noir wine. The color is a pale pink. Clos des Goisses Juste Rosé has fine bubbles and aromas of wild strawberries, citrus and floral notes. It shows fewer yeasty notes than Clos des Goisses and feels even purer.
Production of Juste Rosé
In recent vintages the rosé style is achieved through a short maceration (approximately 18 % of the Pinot Noir is fermented on skins). In earlier years the color came from adding red wine from the same vineyard. The blend is usually around 68 % Pinot Noir and 32 % Chardonnay. It is fully barrel-aged without malolactic fermentation and with low dosage (approx. 4.5 g/l). It spends over eight years on lees. Production is limited to only a few thousand bottles per vintage.
Origin and History
Champagne Philipponnat is a traditional house whose roots go back to the 16th century. The family has been based in Aÿ for generations and was already supplying wine to the court of Louis XIV. The Champagne house Philipponnat was formally founded in 1910 and moved into the 20-meter-deep chalk cellar in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Since 1997 the house has belonged to the Lanson-BCC group, but continues to be managed by Charles Philipponnat as Managing Director.
Vineyards and Holdings
Philipponnat owns around 20 hectares of vines, mainly in Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites such as Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay and Mutigny. The jewel in the crown is the south-facing Clos des Goisses, one of the oldest monopole vineyards in Champagne. The slope reaches up to 45 degrees, consists of pure chalk soil and enjoys an exceptionally warm microclimate. Cultivation is environmentally friendly and largely manual; in the best parcels the soil is still traditionally ploughed by horse.
Style and Cellar Techniques
The Philipponnat style is powerful, structured and strongly marked by Pinot Noir. Only the juice from the first pressing is used. A portion of the base wines matures in oak, and the house employs a perpetual reserve system reminiscent of the solera method. This creates complexity and a consistent house character across vintages. Second fermentation takes place in bottle, with a minimum lees aging of three years; top wines age considerably longer. Dosage remains low (often Extra Brut) to express the terroir unadulterated. Back labels provide detailed information on blend, dosage and disgorgement date – a feature that creates transparency.
Significance and Style
Philipponnat is internationally regarded as one of the great Pinot-Noir houses of Champagne and as a pioneer of transparent, terroir-driven winemaking. Clos des Goisses is one of the oldest monopole vineyards in the region and ranks among the longest-lived wines of France. The combination of traditional craftsmanship, precise vinification and modern cellar technology makes Philipponnat a firm favorite among connoisseurs of demanding Champagne.
