Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2006 Champagne 75cl

The jewel in the Champagne Philipponnat crown is a tiny 5.5-hecatre single walled vineyard called Clos des Goisses. Acquired in 1935, Pierre Philipponnat was quick to realise the potential of this unique plot and immediately started producing a single vineyard blend. Originally named Vin des Goisses, it was changed to Clos de Goisses in 1959 and thus the category of Clos champagnes (produced from grapes within walled vineyards) was born. Clos des Goisses is truly iconic: situated by the Marne canal, it is a steep-sloping, south-facing vineyard with an inclination of 35-45 degrees that can only be fully appreciated by visiting. Due to its size, production is limited to a maximum of 55,000 bottles each year.

Weather: The 2006 vintage was a year of mixed weather. It began with a rainy spell and late spring, but with little or no frost in the vineyards. Early summer was positive, with the months of June and July creating perfect conditions for flowering. Although there were some storms in late-July, the overall health of the vines was great since the weather remained hot through to the harvest with spells of rain in August promoting even healthier grapes.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Clos des Goisses
Grape Varieties: 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay
Ageing: 8 years on the lees
Dosage: 4.5 g/l
Drink: Now to 2027

Tasting Note: The 2006 vintage produced an abundant harvest with grapes that ripened well, giving rise to supple elegant and fruity wines. This displays a pale golden colour with hints of elderflower on the nose. On the palate: a bold freshness with notes of blackberrys, toasty flavours and a raspberry finish. A lower dosage champagne but with very rich flavours.

Almost 500 years ago, the ancestor of Apvril Philipponnat - a soldier of King François - was awarded land in the village of Aÿ as a reward for his bravery during the Battle of Marignan. During the 16th century the Philipponnat family were winegrowers and merchants, famously supplying the court of Louis XIV. However, it took a few centuries for Champagne Philipponnat to be founded - finally being established by Pierre Philipponnat in 1910.

The House now owns seventeen hectares of vines, all situated in the Grand and Premier Cru vineyards of Avenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Traditional methods of harvest such as working the soil through horse ploughing and hoeing by hand are still observed at Champagne Philipponnat today. Their techniques of partial fermentation in oak and partial malolactic fermentation result in a complex and long-lived style of champagne. They were also one of the first producers to print disgorgement dates on the label of their bottles, commencing this practice in the mid-1990s.

Cellar Master: Thierry Garnier
Winery Location: Mareuil-sur-Aÿ | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Vallée de la Marne
Annual Production (bottles): 700,000

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The Busy Wine Lover's Guide to Philipponnat wine-searcher.com, 19th July 2016

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Champagne Philipponnat was founded in 1910 in Mareuil-sur-Ay. The Philipponnat family, originally from Fribourg in Switzerland, moved to Aÿ in 1522. The ancestor of April Philipponnat was a soldier of King François. Having proved his bravery during the Battle of Marignan, the King rewarded him by granting him land in Aÿ. The house owns a vineyard of 21 hectares, mainly planted with Pinot Noir and distributed in the towns of Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Mareuil-sur-Ay and Mutigny. Today, Charles Philipponnat, representative of the sixteenth generation, watches over the destiny of the House.

The know-how Philipponnat expresses itself in particular is the principle of solera under wood. Tradition of the house since time immemorial, it involves keeping reserve wines in oak casks and reintroducing them in non-vintage blends (at a proportion of a quarter to a third), then using this blend as a reserve wine for the following blend. In this way, a gradual dilution makes it possible to keep in each bottle the trace of the vintages assembled since the origin. Each head winemaker has endeavoured to transmit this know-how to their successor.

Philipponnat was also the first house to specify on its counter-labels the dominant ‘base’ year in the composition of its non-vintage champagne, the dosage and the date of disgorgement, thus communicating to its prescribers and consumers the identity of each cuvée.