Champagne Philipponnat - Clos des Goisses Extra-Brut 2015 avec étui

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Philipponnat continues its family history in Champagne. Located in Mareuil Sur Ay, the house is famous for its Clos-des-Goisses, the largest vineyard in Champagne (5.5 hectares) overlooking the Marne River, which it has owned since 1935. Since 1997, it has continued to grow under the leadership of Charles Philipponnat. The vineyard is managed with respect for the essential practices required to preserve it. In the cellar, the barrels and casks set the tone and signature of the complex, rich, and precise style of all the cuvées. One detail sums up the attention paid to the wines here: the back label specifies the dates of tirage and disgorging (which show that the aging process is much longer than usual), as well as the dosage and the origin of the blend. From the elegant, understated packaging to the pedigree of all the cuvées, everything here converges towards perfection.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

The Philipponnats have owned vineyards in Aÿ since the early 16th century. As wine merchants and producers, they have a coat of arms dating from the late 17th century and a château in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, acquired in 1910. The jewel in the crown of their 22-hectare vineyard (comprising premier cru and grand cru plots) is the Clos des Goisses, purchased in 1935, which produces the house's most famous prestige vintage cuvée. It is one of the few walled vineyards in Champagne and also the largest (5.5 hectares), located on a steep hillside overlooking the Marne 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 cellar master since 2005.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About wine:

While the overall impression is that the 2015 vintage has been well managed, the wood also masks this perception of vegetality. However, on the palate, the volume is more disjointed, with more limited notes of aromatic and tannic maturity. This remains a more divisive wine.

About the estate:

Joining the Lanson-BCC group in 1997, this medium-sized house is self-sufficient in terms of both sourcing and production. It has made a name for itself in the high-end champagne market thanks to the renewed personality of its Clos des Goisses. The brand's rise is also a reward for the choices made across the entire range by its president Charles Philipponnat, who has been in post since 2000. He introduced cold vinification, shifted the blends towards more Pinot Noir, and increased the capacity for vinification in wood on lees without bâtonnage and without malolactic fermentation. His goal? To integrate the spirit of vintage wines into non-vintage wines. 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

About wine:

This iconic champagne from a single vineyard comes from a steep south-facing hillside overlooking the Marne River. This new cuvée, still young but with magnificent potential, is rich in floral aromas and dense white fruit, streaked with minerality. Best enjoyed from 2026 onwards.

Vinous

About wine:

Clos des Goisses Extra-Brut 2015 is a powerful and resonant wine, just like last year. In 2015, all batches were vinified in oak barrels, giving them remarkable texture and balance. Pear, gingerbread, ginger, dried flowers, and a touch of oak are all highlighted. An underlying vegetal note, typical of the year, lurks in the background but is well integrated. The long finish is striking. The 2015 opens up beautifully with air, gaining precision and tension. The dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. Disgorgement: March 2024.

James Suckling

About wine:

It has a complex nose of brioche, honey, cooked pears, salted plums, nuts, and white chocolate. It is superbly fine and silky on the palate, with very soft bubbles and lively acidity that support the nuances of ripe fruit, honey, and salt. Dry and elegant, with wonderful freshness from a warm vintage. 78% Pinot Noir and 22% Chardonnay. Disgorged in March 2024. Dosage of 4.5 g/L. Ready to drink or cellar.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Medium straw/golden in color, it is expressive in the glass with ripe, flavorful notes of black cherries, undergrowth, delicately toasted spices, umami, and fresh sourdough bread. Full-bodied, it fills the palate with a very long, savory richness in the mid-palate, revealing accentuated notes of grapefruit on the finish. It is long on the palate and has a touch of warmth, which is normal for this vintage, while remaining very balanced, with a noble sensation. An exceptional wine from 2015, the Philipponnat team has hit hard with these 2015s. This wine and their other 2015s will likely become great examples of how wines with powerful and rich structures from hot vintages can age without relying solely on acidity to carry the torch.