Champagne Philipponnat
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses
2013
From 290 EUR from 1 retailers
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses represents one of Champagne's most exceptional terroir expressions—a powerful, age-worthy prestige cuvée from a unique monopole vineyard renowned for its steep slope and singular character.
Country
France
Region
Champagne
Number of retailers: 1
Chateaunet
France
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses
2013
Standard delivery 1-3 business days
More information
Producer
Champagne Philipponnat is a distinguished family-owned House with viticultural origins dating to 1522, making it one of Champagne's oldest continuously operated estates. Based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in the heart of the Montagne de Reims, the House has been shaped by more than four centuries of family stewardship and a commitment to vineyard-focused winemaking. Philipponnat is internationally recognised for its Pinot Noir-led style, structured elegance and the legendary single-vineyard Champagne, Clos des Goisses.
Quick Facts
- Location: Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Champagne, France
* Founded: 1522
- Ownership: Family-owned for over four centuries
- House identity: Pinot Noir-driven, terroir-focused Champagne
- Estate holdings: Approximately 20 hectares across Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ and Avenay-Val-d'Or
- Signature cuvée: Royale Réserve
- Prestige cuvée: Clos des Goisses
- Key vineyard: Clos des Goisses, a walled 5.5-hectare parcel with steep south-facing slopes
- Soils: Predominantly chalk, with exceptional exposure in Clos des Goisses
- Principal grape: Pinot Noir
- Key styles: Non-vintage and vintage Champagne, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé
- Vinification: Partial barrel fermentation, extended lees ageing, judicious use of reserve wines
Five Centuries in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
The House traces its origins to 1522, when the Philipponnat family began cultivating vines in Aÿ, a village renowned for producing some of Champagne's finest Pinot Noir. Over successive generations, the family acquired parcels across the surrounding slopes, building a vineyard estate that would become the foundation for the modern House.
Throughout its long history, Philipponnat has remained independently owned, allowing it to maintain a winemaking philosophy centred on patience, precision and the expression of individual vineyard sites. This continuity has preserved a distinctive identity within a region often shaped by consolidation and large-scale production.
The Legendary Clos des Goisses
At the heart of Philipponnat's reputation stands Clos des Goisses, a walled 5.5-hectare vineyard situated on one of Champagne's steepest and most dramatic slopes. Facing due south with gradients reaching 45 degrees, the site benefits from extraordinary sunlight exposure and chalky soils that encourage exceptional ripeness and concentration.
First planted in 1935, Clos des Goisses is vinified as a single-vineyard Champagne and has become a benchmark for terroir-focused winemaking in the region. The wine is characterised by remarkable structure, depth and an ability to age gracefully for decades. Unlike most Champagnes, Clos des Goisses is typically composed of roughly equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a blend that balances power with precision and complexity.
The vineyard's unique mesoclimate allows grapes to ripen fully even in challenging vintages, producing wines with lower dosage and greater aromatic intensity than conventional blends. Extended lees ageing of eight to fifteen years before release further enhances texture and allows the wine's mineral backbone to emerge.
Pinot Noir and the Pursuit of Balance
Philipponnat's vineyards are planted predominantly to Pinot Noir, reflecting the grape's natural affinity for the chalky soils and cooler exposures surrounding Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This focus shapes the House style across the entire range, from Royale Réserve—the refined non-vintage cuvée that forms the foundation of the portfolio—to vintage-dated expressions and prestige bottlings.
Partial fermentation in small oak barrels and careful management of reserve wines add texture and complexity without obscuring the clarity of fruit or site. The approach prioritises balance over opulence, producing Champagnes distinguished by fine structure, restrained power and a graceful evolution in bottle.
Royale Réserve Rosé and the vintage cuvées further demonstrate the estate's ability to translate exceptional fruit into wines that reflect both the character of the harvest and the underlying terroir. Each release is built to reward patience, developing layered aromatics and a more seamless expression with time.
Country
Region
Champagne
Champagne is widely regarded as the world's most prestigious sparkling wine region and has become synonymous with celebration, luxury and uncompromising quality. Located in northeastern France, approximately 150 kilometres east of Paris, the region combines centuries of winemaking tradition with exceptional terroir to produce sparkling wines of remarkable elegance and complexity. From legendary maisons to small grower-producers, Champagne represents the benchmark against which all other sparkling wines are measured, and its influence on global wine culture remains unrivalled.
The region's vineyards stretch across five principal districts: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Bar. The defining characteristic of Champagne terroir is its chalk-limestone subsoil, which provides excellent drainage, mineral richness and steady water supply essential for producing grapes of exceptional quality. The cool continental climate, moderated by maritime influences, ensures slow ripening and high natural acidity, while the principal grape varieties—Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier—each contribute distinct character to the final blend. The region's 17 grand cru villages and 42 premier cru villages represent the finest expression of Champagne terroir, producing grapes of outstanding concentration and finesse.
Champagne is governed by strict AOC regulations established in 1927, which define geographical boundaries, permitted grape varieties, yields and production methods. The region is home to some of the world's most celebrated houses, including Krug, Louis Roederer, Bollinger, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Pol Roger, Salon, Taittinger and Moët & Chandon. These maisons have upheld the art of blending and cellar ageing for generations, producing prestige cuvées and vintage expressions that rank among the most collectible wines in the world. Alongside these historic houses, a growing number of grower-producers cultivate and vinify their own grapes, offering terroir-focused expressions that reveal the diversity and depth of Champagne's varied terroirs.
Whether exploring grand cru villages, prestige cuvées or historic maisons, Champagne offers an unparalleled journey through the birthplace of the world's finest sparkling wines. Discover Champagne Champagnes, compare prices from trusted merchants across Europe and find the best offers with Sipfind.
Grapes
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most important and prestigious white wine grapes, renowned for its remarkable versatility and ability to reflect both terroir and winemaking style. Most famously associated with Burgundy and Champagne in France, Chardonnay is cultivated across virtually every major wine-producing country and can produce everything from precise, mineral-driven whites to rich, complex wines with exceptional ageing potential.
In Burgundy, Chardonnay reaches some of its most celebrated expressions. The limestone-rich vineyards of Chablis are known for wines combining vibrant acidity, citrus character and mineral precision, while the Côte de Beaune, particularly appellations such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, produces some of the world’s most sought-after and age-worthy white wines.
Chardonnay also plays a fundamental role in Champagne, where it contributes freshness, finesse and acidity to blends alongside Pinot Noir and Meunier. When produced exclusively from Chardonnay, the resulting Champagne is known as Blanc de Blancs, a style prized for its elegance, precision and capacity to develop considerable complexity with extended ageing.
The grape’s character varies significantly according to climate, terroir and winemaking. Cooler regions can produce wines showing citrus, green apple, white flowers and mineral notes, while warmer conditions can bring peach, melon and tropical-fruit character. Oak fermentation, barrel ageing and malolactic fermentation can introduce additional layers of toast, vanilla, butter and hazelnut, demonstrating Chardonnay’s exceptional stylistic range.
Beyond France, Chardonnay has established important expressions in California, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and numerous other wine regions. From the mineral whites of Chablis and the great vineyards of Burgundy to Blanc de Blancs Champagne and modern New World interpretations, Chardonnay’s combination of versatility, complexity and terroir expression has established it as one of the defining grape varieties of fine wine.
History and Style
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses stands as one of Champagne's most distinctive prestige cuvées, produced exclusively from a remarkable 5.5-hectare walled vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This iconic cuvée showcases the exceptional character of a single-vineyard site that has been cultivated since 1935, when Philipponnat acquired the monopole.
Quick Facts
- Producer: Champagne Philipponnat
- Classification: Prestige Cuvée
- Region: Champagne
- Appellation: Champagne AOC
- Country: France
- Style: Full-bodied, single-vineyard prestige Champagne
- Grape Composition: Pinot Noir-dominant blend with Chardonnay (typically 60-70% Pinot Noir, proportions vary)
- Ageing Potential: 10-20+ years from release
- Alcohol (ABV): 12-12.5%
- Tasting Profile: Concentrated stone fruit, citrus, chalk minerality, toasted brioche, hazelnut, honeyed depth
- Food Pairing: Lobster, turbot, roasted poultry, foie gras, mature hard cheeses
- Serving Temperature: 10-12°C
- Bottle Status: Iconic Cuvée
- Vintage: Non-Vintage (multi-vintage blend)
House Style and Blending Philosophy
The Clos des Goisses vineyard is extraordinary in Champagne—its steep, south-facing slope (ranging from 30 to 45 degrees) creates a unique microclimate that allows full ripeness rarely achieved in the region. The chalky soil and exceptional sun exposure produce grapes of remarkable concentration and complexity. Philipponnat typically blends Pinot Noir (60-70%) with Chardonnay from this single site, though proportions vary by vintage.
Character and Ageing
Unlike most prestige Champagnes, Clos des Goisses is released as a non-vintage blend incorporating reserve wines, though it reflects the character of a predominant base year. The wine displays remarkable power and structure, with profound mineral depth, concentrated stone fruit, and citrus notes layered with toasted brioche and hazelnut. Its distinctive style—fuller-bodied and more vinous than typical Champagne—rewards extended cellaring, often developing beautifully over 10-20 years or more.
This iconic cuvée appeals to collectors and connoisseurs seeking Champagne of exceptional terroir character and ageing potential, representing a benchmark for single-vineyard expression in the region.