Champagne Phillipponat
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” - Mark Twain
Champagne Phillipponnat, a 5 generation grower champagne producer winemaking family stand for 3 things - family, legacy and terroir. This family has a long lineage of winemakers, cellar masters and growers dating back nearly 600 years. Located in in Vallée de la Marne region of Champagne, their vineyards are found in the Grand Cru villages of Ay, Mareuil-Sur-Ay and Avenay and stored in the 18th century cellars in Chateau de Mareuil. They take conservation of the land seriously, for instance hoeing the soils by hand- can you imagine how long that would take, as well as horse ploughing as to not disrupt the centuries old soils too much and preserve the terroir true character.
Charles, the current head of the family business, was born to make champagne - it’s in his blood and in his soul. Philipponnat’s wines are not only intense, they are fresher (due to using only first-pressings of Chardonnay). To add more depth and complexity, they use a type of Solera System for their reserve wines. They include a portion in the NV blends and then use that blend as a reserve wine for the following blend. To maximize their character of the wine even further, they age NV for 3 years on the lees and vintage cuvées spend 5 to 10 years on the lees. The iconic Clos des Goisses put Philipponnat on the map in the 1930s which became the region’s first important single-vineyard Champagne. Their portfolio ranges from the Clos des Goisses to the incredible Royale Réserve Brut NV (featured here today), a Non-Dosé, and Rosé.
The Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut Champagne is a blend of 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier. The wine was aged on the lees for 3 years ( minimum requirement is 15 months). First press juice of mainly Grand and Premier Crus grapes from the heart of the Champagne wine-growing area. They use between 20-30% solera-aged reserve wines in this blend.
Fun Fact: “The name of Royal Réserve goes back to the ancestors of the Philipponnat family, vineyard owners, wine-merchants and winemakers, suppliers to Louis XIV, magistrates and Royal Mayors of Ay.”
This Brut champagne has a fine lively mousse, crisp refreshing acidity that’s seamlessly balanced with flavors of raspberry, red currant, lime, lemon peel, yellow apple, pear, peach, grass, hay, acacia, chalky, minerals, flint, almonds, cream, toast, forest floor, honey, wet stone and ends on delicious brioche and bread dough. The generous flavors linger for a long time.
🥂 It’s so pure, muscular yet elegant with bright bubbles. It’s delicious, complex and flavors just caress your mouth like a silk scarf around your neck.
I truly enjoyed this seductively tantalizing champagne with a dear friend of mine - in my mind that is the best pairing that there. If you are feeling peckish, try a glass with warmed Camembert with cranberry compote, scallop chive tartare or roasted mussel with cream and chives.
