Champagne Philipponnat - Clos des Goisses Extra-Brut 2013 avec étui

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Philipponnat continues its family legacy in Champagne. Based in Mareuil-sur-Ay, the house is famous for its Clos-des-Goisses, the largest vineyard in all of Champagne (5.5 hectares), which overlooks the Marne River from a steep cliff and has been in the family’s ownership since 1935. Since 1997, it has continued to thrive under the leadership of Charles Philipponnat. The vineyard is managed with a focus on the essential practices that preserve its integrity. In the cellar, the barrels and casks set the tone and define the complex, rich, and precise style of all the cuvées. One detail also sums up the attention paid to the wines here: the back label specifies the dates of bottling and disgorgement (which make it clear that the aging period far exceeds the norm), as well as the dosage and the origin of the blend. With packaging that reflects the elegant simplicity and distinction of all the cuvées, everything here converges toward perfection.

Decanter

About the wine:

The exceptionally steep south-facing slope of the Clos des Goisses vineyard means that the wine exhibits both fullness and intensity, even in cooler vintages. It is extremely flavorful and long on the palate, with the richness of apple pie and subtle notes of sea salt and spices, all in a harmonious balance between fruit and structure. This is a Goisses with slightly less exuberance and ripeness than the 2012, but potentially more finesse.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

The Philipponnat family has owned vineyards in Aÿ since the early 16th century; as wine merchants and winemakers, they have a coat of arms dating from the late 17th century and a château in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, acquired in 1910. The crown jewel of their 22-hectare estate (comprising 1er cru and grand cru vineyards) is the Clos des Goisses, purchased in 1935, which produces the house’s most famous vintage prestige cuvée. It is one of the few walled vineyards in Champagne and also the largest (5.5 ha), situated on a steep hillside overlooking the Marne’s lateral canal and the river itself. The non-vintage cuvées derive their style from the addition of reserve wines aged in wood according to the solera principle, or perpetual reserve. Thierry Garnier has been the cellar master since 2005.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Surpassing even the 2012 and 2008 vintages, Philipponnat’s 2013 Clos des Goisses Extra-Brut appears to be the best vintage of this cuvée in several decades—at least at first glance. Made exclusively from the six main plots out of the 13 that make up the Clos des Goisses, this is a striking wine, evoking aromas of crisp yellow fruit, Anjou pear, light honey, bee pollen, stone fruit, and iodine. Full-bodied, layered, and vinous, its textured attack gives way to a deep, concentrated, and tight mid-palate, framed by racy acidity and a chalky structure, before ending with a long, briny finish. Why is this wine so good? It seems that 2013 was the perfect storm: an early-ripening terroir in a cool, late vintage; Burgundian selections of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with moderate yields that reached full maturity; and a commitment to strict selection—all of which came together to produce a Clos des Goisses of great depth.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The 2013 Clos des Goisses, while lacking the density of its one-year-older counterpart, retains its depth, stature, and fullness, along with the crystalline energy and tension characteristic of the vintage. It is a great wine that will age beautifully and will continue to gain in character and refinement. But it is still holding back a bit and needs time.

About the estate:

Having joined the Lanson-BCC group in 1997, this mid-sized house is self-sufficient in both its sourcing and winemaking. It has made a name for itself in the high-end Champagne segment thanks to the renewed character of its Clos des Goisses. The brand’s rise is also a testament to the decisions made across the entire range by its president, Charles Philipponnat, who has been in office since 2000. He introduced cooler temperatures to the winemaking process, reoriented the blends toward a higher proportion of Pinot Noir, and increased the capacity for aging in oak on lees without stirring or malolactic fermentation. His goal? To infuse the spirit of vintage wines into non-vintage ones. The wines tasted confirm the excellence and precision observed recently, starting with the Brut Royale Réserve. A house at the top of its game.

Wine Enthusiast

Jancis Robinson

Vinous

About the wine:

The 2013 Extra-Brut Clos des Goisses is fabulous. Readers will need to be patient, as the 2013 vintage is not yet ready to reveal all its secrets. The late harvest produced a bristling, intensely briny Clos des Goisses that will need several years to reach its full potential. Despite this, its depth, textural resonance, and finish are so evocative of what the future holds. The 2013 is an absolutely stunning champagne and one of the best Goisses in recent memory.

James Suckling

About the wine:

This wine is elegant and sophisticated, with aromas of red apples, honey, pears, hazelnuts, praline, croissants, and hints of white chocolate. Very fine, tight bubbles. Well-defined and structured. Concentrated from start to finish, with plenty of life ahead of it. Ready to drink or worth cellaring.