Champagne Philipponnat
Philipponnat Royale Réserve
Champagne Philipponnat's flagship non-vintage cuvée Royale Réserve showcases the house's dedication to terroir-driven Champagne, combining structure, elegance, and remarkable complexity for its category.
Country
France
Region
Champagne
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.
Meunier, historically known as Pinot Meunier, is one of the three principal grape varieties of Champagne, alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Valued for its fresh fruit character, reliable ripening and adaptability to cooler vineyard sites, Meunier plays an essential role in many Champagne blends, contributing aromatic expression, roundness and approachability.
The grape is particularly important in the Vallée de la Marne, where it thrives across vineyards that can be more challenging for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Meunier buds later and ripens relatively early, helping reduce its exposure to damaging spring frosts while allowing it to reach maturity reliably in Champagne’s cool climate. These characteristics have made it an important component of the region’s viticultural identity.
In Champagne, Meunier typically contributes flavours and aromas of red apple, pear, plum, citrus and fresh red fruits, depending on terroir, ripeness and winemaking. Its naturally generous fruit profile can provide softness and accessibility to blends, complementing the finesse and acidity of Chardonnay and the structure and depth associated with Pinot Noir.
Although best known as a blending variety, Meunier can also produce distinctive single-variety Champagnes, demonstrating greater complexity and terroir expression than its historical reputation sometimes suggests. A growing number of producers highlight individual Meunier vineyards and parcels, bringing renewed attention to the grape as an important expression of Champagne in its own right.
From classic non-vintage blends to increasingly sought-after single-variety bottlings, Meunier’s combination of fresh fruit, adaptability and aromatic character makes it one of Champagne’s defining grape varieties.
History and Style
Philipponnat Royale Réserve represents the flagship non-vintage expression of Champagne Philipponnat, a distinguished family-owned house based in Aÿ, one of Champagne's most prestigious Grand Cru villages. This core range cuvée embodies the house philosophy of crafting structured, terroir-focused Champagnes that deliver exceptional depth and character.
Quick Facts
- Producer: Champagne Philipponnat
- Classification: Non-Vintage Champagne
- Region: Champagne
- Appellation: Champagne AOC
- Country: France
- Style: Structured non-vintage Champagne with reserve wine inclusion
- Grape Composition: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier blend (proportions vary by assemblage)
- Ageing Potential: 5-8 years from purchase
- Alcohol (ABV): 12-12.5%
- Tasting Profile: Brioche, citrus, orchard fruit, toasted notes, mineral finish
- Food Pairing: Shellfish, oysters, poultry, creamy cheeses, aperitif
- Serving Temperature: 8-10°C
- Bottle Status: Flagship
- Vintage: Non-Vintage
House Style and Blending Philosophy
The Philipponnat family has maintained strong connections to their vineyard holdings throughout Champagne, with particular emphasis on their historic Clos des Goisses vineyard. This estate-minded approach extends to Royale Réserve, which benefits from meticulous vineyard selection and a significant proportion of reserve wines aged in the house's extensive cellars. The house's position in Aÿ provides access to exceptional Pinot Noir fruit, which forms the backbone of this distinguished cuvée.
Character and Ageing
The blend typically combines Pinot Noir for structure and depth, Chardonnay for elegance and finesse, and Pinot Meunier for fruitiness and approachability. The inclusion of reserve wines, some aged in oak foudres and magnums, adds layers of complexity and vinous character unusual for non-vintage Champagne. The resulting wine displays brioche, citrus, orchard fruit, and subtle toasted notes, with a structured palate and persistent finish that pairs beautifully with shellfish, poultry, or creamy cheeses.
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