Philipponnat Champagne
Philipponnat Champagne

Philipponnat Champagne

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An emblematic Champagne house, Philipponnat stands out for its historic craftsmanship and distinctive style. Based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, it showcases exceptional terroirs, including the renowned Clos des Goisses. Its champagnes, recognised for their vinosity, precision and finesse, appeal to connoisseurs seeking authenticity. Philipponnat embodies the perfect alliance between tradition, mastery of blending and pure expression of pinot noir.

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The F.A.Q

What distinguishes Champagne Philipponnat from other Champagne houses?

Champagne Philipponnat stands out for its vinous and structured style, largely dominated by Pinot Noir. The house favours the expression of terroir, particularly that of the Montagne de Reims, with gastronomic champagnes that are precise and built for ageing. The use of reserve wines aged in wood reinforces the complexity and depth of the cuvées.

What is the most emblematic cuvée of Champagne Philipponnat?

The Clos des Goisses is the emblematic cuvée of Champagne Philipponnat. From a historic clos with steep slopes, it embodies the power, depth and exceptional ageing potential of the house's great terroir champagnes.

What are the best vintages of Champagne Philipponnat?

Among the most sought-after vintages of Champagne Philipponnat are 1996, 2002, 2008 and 2012 for their balance, intensity and longevity. Other years such as 2009, 2014 or 2015 offer different expressions, more solar or more tense, always faithful to the house style.

The history and identity of the Philipponnat house, from Aÿ to Mareuil-sur-Aÿ

The Philipponnats are one of Champagne’s oldest winegrowing families. Originally from Switzerland, their ancestor Apvril (or April) de Philipponnat, a soldier of François I who was rewarded after the Battle of Marignano, received land in Aÿ at the beginning of the 16th century; from 1522, the family was already cultivating vines in the locality known as Le Léon, between Aÿ and Dizy. Winegrowers, merchants and then royal mayors of Aÿ, its members have passed down from generation to generation the same passion for Champagne, symbolised by their red-and-gold chequered coat of arms. The trading house as it is known today was founded at the beginning of the 20th century and established itself in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, where it operates superb cellars dug out in the 18th century, once attached to the Château de Mareuil. The family remains at the helm with Charles Philipponnat, the sixteenth generation, who has run the house since the turn of the 2000s; the company now belongs to the Champagne group Lanson-BCC, while retaining its autonomy and family heritage.

Terroir and Champagne climate of the Philipponnat vineyard

The house’s vineyard, covering around twenty hectares, extends across the slopes of Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Avenay, in the heart of the Marne Valley. The subsoil is made of chalk, a white, porous rock that acts like a sponge: it regulates water and heat, giving the Champagnes their distinctive saline freshness. The climate, both continental and softened by oceanic influences, alternates between cold winters and moderate summers.

This relative northern coolness results in slow grape ripening: the bunches ripen gently while retaining fine natural acidity, essential to the balance and ageing potential of great Champagnes. The best-exposed plots, facing due south, capture the most sunshine, starting with the Clos des Goisses, renowned as one of the warmest terroirs in the region.

Clos des Goisses, Philipponnat’s emblematic monopoly

The Clos des Goisses lies at the heart of Philipponnat’s identity. This 5.5-hectare walled vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ runs down a south-facing slope above the Marne: with a gradient reaching 45 degrees, it is the steepest hillside in all of Champagne. Its name says it all: in old Champenois, “gois” or “goisse” refers to a very steep slope — and, by extension, the hard work it demands of winegrowers.

In 1935, Pierre Philipponnat acquired this then-abandoned terroir and made a bold decision for the time: to vinify it on its own, without blending it with other crus. He thus created Champagne’s first clos, the forerunner of today’s single-vineyard cuvées. Clos des Goisses, largely dominated by Pinot Noir and partly vinified in oak, is produced only in the finest years. The house applies the same terroir philosophy to other historic localities such as Le Léon, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Les Cintres and La Rémissonne.

The style and expertise of Philipponnat Champagnes: the perpetual reserve

The house style is instantly recognisable: vinous, structured and deep, driven by a majority of Pinot Noir. The house presses only the first juice from the grapes, ages part of its wines in oak and doses its cuvées with restraint — sometimes with no added sugar at all — so as not to mask the purity of the fruit. It also deliberately limits the natural secondary fermentation that usually softens wines, in order to preserve tension and freshness.

Its most distinctive hallmark remains the perpetual reserve. The principle is simple: each year, a portion of wines from previous harvests, kept in oak barrels, is blended with the new harvest, then the whole is replenished to serve as a reserve for the following year. From vintage to vintage, each bottle thus retains the trace of all previous harvests, gaining in complexity without losing its vibrancy. True to this spirit of transparency, the house states on its back labels the base year of the blend, the dosage and the disgorgement date, valuable information for enthusiasts.

Ageing potential and recognition of Philipponnat wines

Thanks to their structure and acidity, Philipponnat Champagnes are among the region’s most age-worthy. In a temperate cellar, they evolve slowly: aromas of fresh fruit give way to notes of dried fruit, honey, brioche and truffle, while the backbone remains taut and precise. The great terroir cuvées can endure for several decades. This longevity, combined with a consistency long praised by international critics, makes the house a benchmark for age-worthy Champagnes, sought after by enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Philipponnat among Champagne’s great houses

Close to the grands crus of Aÿ, the house shares its fondness for Pinot Noir and vinous character with other signatures of the Marne Valley, such as Bollinger and Deutz, and belongs to the family of generous, oak-aged Champagnes also favoured by Krug. Through its attachment to terroir and its gastronomic vision of Champagne, Philipponnat contributes fully to the renown of Champagne and its characterful wines.

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