Champagne Philipponnat - Réserve Perpétuelle Brut

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 large oak casks set the tone and define the complex, rich, and precise style of all the cuvées. One detail also highlights the attention paid to the wines here: the back label specifies the dates of bottling and disgorgement (which reveal 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.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Powerful and harmonious, blending white floral notes with spicy and slightly smoky hints derived from the partial barrel aging of reserve wines, the nose hints at a great champagne. This impression is confirmed on the palate, which is round and harmonious, with smooth quince aromas, offering a long finish where the spices reappear, combined with the freshness of grapefruit. “Surely the hallmark of fine reserve wines and extended aging,” concludes one taster.

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 hectares), 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.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Fruits and white flowers come together in a delicate and refined bouquet, featuring vine peach, crisp pear, and chamomile, with subtle notes of orange-flavored biscuit and fleur de sel chocolate. The palate is more dynamic, with elegant, perfectly defined bubbles and a lively body that teases the palate with well-balanced acidity. A well-rounded, full-bodied wine that pairs equally well as an aperitif, with Japanese cuisine, or with roasted poultry.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Composed of 44% wine from the 2021 vintage and 56% reserve wines held in the perpetual reserve, Philipponnat’s NV Réserve Perpétuelle Brut—formerly known as Brut Royale Réserve—opens with an inviting bouquet of ripe peach, red berries, pear, and pastry. On the palate, it is medium-bodied to full-bodied, full-flavored, and textured, offering a generous and enveloping style, enlivened by a refined acidity. While the base vintage is primarily fermented in stainless steel tanks, the reserve wines are aged in oak barrels and undergo partial malolactic fermentation. This cuvée was disgorged in December 2024 with a dosage of eight grams per liter.

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

About the wine:

The wine displays an open profile for a vibrant vintage, with lovely freshness and notes of orchard fruits and white fruits. The aromas remain well-balanced. On the palate, the wine has less body than the 2019 base wine. Still, it’s a successful wine for the vintage.

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 champagnes. 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

James Suckling

About the wine:

On the nose, this fresh and refined champagne reveals aromas of lemon, almond, raspberry, and yeast. It is medium-bodied, lively, and well-structured. 66% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, and 2% Meunier. Made from the 2021 vintage with 56% reserve wines, following a perpetual blending tradition that began in 1946. Dosage of 8 g/L. Ready to drink now.