Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Brut
Champagne Blend
| Vintage: | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Winery: | Philipponnat |
| Description: | 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. The corporate changes that have swept through Champagne in recent years seem sure to rob many old houses of their connection to the past. But one small jewel of a house is moving ever closer to its roots: Philipponnat. It is one of the last houses to be run by a member of its founding family. And Charles Philipponnat is a true Champenois, descended from winemakers, cellarmasters, and growers dating back nearly 600 years. Since taking over in 1999, Charles has returned Philipponnat to its last Golden Age, 1913-1962, when Louis Boland was chef de caves. Boland's wines were the essence of Pinot Noir from the house's vineyards in the Montagne de Reims. Charles' Champagnes also fully exploit these prized vineyards, and the resulting wines revel in their Pinot-infused glory. Under Charles, Philipponnat's wines aren't just more intense, they're also fresher (due to using only first-pressing Chardonnay). And for more depth and complexity, Charles has gradually increased the amount of wine aging in neutral wood. To maximize their character, the non-vintage wines age for 3 years en tirage, while the vintage cuvĂŠes spend from 5 to 10 years on the lees. Until Krug's Clos du Mesnil was first made in 1979, Clos des Goisses was the region's only great single-vineyard wine. From its first vintage in 1935, it was unchallenged as the beacon of terroir in Champagne. It was the sole argument that great Champagne could be made from a single site, rather than a blend of vineyards as had been done for centuries. No other Champagne vineyard can match its gifts: an unbroken 30- to 45-degree, fully south-facing slope of pure chalk, backed by a small plateau directly above the Marne River. In warm years the plateau assures balance; in cool years the steep southern slope guarantees ripeness. Charles makes the most of this singularly great terroir, consistently fashioning transcendent wines that are among Champagne's most coveted cuvĂŠes. Even today, Peter Liem calls Clos des Goisses âarguably the greatest vineyard site in all of Champagne.â |
| Price: | $ 240.00 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
