For over 500 years, back to 1522, the Philipponnat family can trace its roots in Champagne viticulture. Documents show that the family supplied wine to the royal court in Paris at that time. The Champagne House, however, as it is known today, has its origins in 1920 with the establishment of a corresponding business in Mareuil sur Ay by Auguste and Pierre Philipponnat.
A major coup was achieved with the acquisition of the famous, first-class single vineyard Clos des Goisses, from which the prestigious Champagne of the same name is still marketed today as single-vineyard Champagne.
The work in the vineyard of just 5.5 hectares is not easy, for with its steep slope it is one of the most impressive vineyards in Champagne. However, with all reference to tradition, one does not shy away from innovations. Philipponnat was the first Champagne house to label its bottles with the assemblage, the vintage and the dosage.
In 1997, the house was sold to Chanoine Champagne, but Charles Philipponnat, a descendant of the family, is still in charge, and expansion at any price is not his thing. Today, just 450,000 bottles of Champagne are produced, which is extremely low compared to the big, well-known brands. On the other hand, the qualities are outstanding and enjoy an excellent reputation among connoisseurs and enthusiasts.
In 2004 the wine cellar was brought up to date. Approximately 20 hectares of vineyards are now in production, of which the "Clos des Goisses" alone accounts for a quarter. Malolactic fermentation of the wines only takes place depending on the assessment of the vintage; for the "Clos des Goisses", which has long enjoyed cult status, it is generally avoided.
The storage and ageing of the wines partly takes place in oak barrels, but even here the "Clos des Goisses" is an exception: about half of it is aged in small 228-liter oak barrels. All Champagnes are dosed with about four to five grams, and the dosing takes place very elaborately, also in barrels.
Nevertheless, the Champagnes of Philipponnat are never technical, but marked by a clear and characteristic signature of the house.
