Famous for their single-vineyard wines from the Clos des Goisses vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Champagne Philipponnat are also making a name for their “1522” series of vintage Champagnes.
Champagne Philipponnat’s claim to fame is to be the house that bottled the very first single-vineyard Champagne in 1935: from the Clos des Goisses in Mareuil-sur- Aÿ. When current cellar master Charles Philipponnat took over the running of the house in 2000, he also started bottling wines based mainly on grapes from another single vineyard, the Pinot Noir grand cru site Le Léon in Aÿ. The Philipponnat family had owned vines there as early as 1522, hence the name of this luxury cuvée.
Last year, Champagne Philipponnat released their first “L.V.” of Clos des Goisees, “L.V.” standing for Long Vieilleissement, or long ageing. Now they are releasing the “1522 L.V”: 300 bottles of that initial 1522 wine from the 2000 vintage. It was disgorged in March 2021 and spent 20 years on lees. An incredibly complex wine of time and place.
The other two new releases are the “1522” extra brut rosé from the 2012 vintage and the white extra brut “1522” from 2014.
Philipponnat Champagnes are gastronomic wonders. Based predominantly on Pinot Noir, they showcase the structure, aromatic diversity and multi-layered nature of that grape variety. Base wines are partially matured in wood and do not undergo malo-lactic fermentation. A consistently low dosage of 4.25-4.5g/l lets each wine convey a vivd picture of the vintage.
About 30% of the base wines of the white cuvée from 2014 were fermented and aged in oak barrels. The 2012 rosé got its subtle pink shade from an addition of 11% of still red wines from the Clos des Goisses vineyard – while the late disgorgement from the 2000 vintage is a vindication of the decision Charles Philipponnat took 20 years ago. It is a wine of incredible depth and astonishing youthfulness. Here is what he has to say about this late release: “Rediscovering vintage 2000 twenty years later with additional depth but pristine freshness came as a proof of the ability of our Le Léon vineyard in Aÿ to yield outstanding fruit. Making “1522” a staple feature in Philipponnat’s range was the right choice : I’d happily drink all 300 bottles myself if given enough time!”
Champagne lovers should not hesitate: at prices from £75 for white, £85 for Rosé and £130 for the L.V, these “1522” cuvées are exceptional value for money and sources of deep and sustained joy.
