Champagne Philipponnat

Charles Philipponnat is a fortunate man. Because he runs the house his ancestors founded. And because it includes a very special vineyard: the legendary Clos des Goisses is located only a few hundred meters from the Philipponnat headquarters in Mareuil. It is not only one of the few true single vineyards in Champagne, it is also the most spectacular. Single vineyard Champagnes are rare. Great Champagnes are blends. At Philipponnat, it's different. Here, the steep vineyard, planted with Pinot Noir, with a 45-degree slope above the Marne Canal, influences the style of all Philipponnat wines, as does a microclimate with 1.5°C above the average temperature, a soil of 100% chalk, and a southern exposure.

They only acquired Clos des Goisses in 1935. Nevertheless, it quickly became a symbol of the house. No one knows better than Charles Philipponnat why it produces such an unmistakable Champagne. "Pinot Noir is the grape variety in Champagne that needs the most sun," comments the head of the house. "If it doesn't get it, it produces palatable, but also relatively neutral wines. Here in the Clos, on the chalky flank of the Montagne de Reims, it ripens particularly well and becomes the basis for incredibly powerful, full-bodied, characterful Champagnes that can age for an eternity."