Champagne Philipponnat
Champagne Philipponnat

Champagne Philipponnat

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An iconic 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, recognized 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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Philipponnat - SoDivin Blog

Philipponnat, our blog article
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The FAQ

Qu’est-ce qui distingue le Champagne Philipponnat des autres maisons de Champagne ?

Le Champagne Philipponnat se distingue par son style vineux et structuré, largement dominé par le pinot noir. La maison privilégie l’expression du terroir, notamment celui de la Montagne de Reims, avec des champagnes gastronomiques, précis et taillés pour la garde. L’utilisation de vins de réserve élevés sous bois renforce la complexité et la profondeur des cuvées.

Quelle est la cuvée la plus emblématique de Champagne Philipponnat ?

Le Clos des Goisses est la cuvée emblématique de Champagne Philipponnat. Issu d’un clos historique aux pentes abruptes, il incarne la puissance, la profondeur et la capacité de garde exceptionnelles des grands champagnes de terroir de la maison.

Quels sont les meilleurs millésimes du 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 sunny or more tense, always faithful to the house style.

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, the ancestor Apvril (or April) de Philipponnat, a soldier of Francis I who was rewarded after the Battle of Marignano, received land in Aÿ at the beginning of the 16th century; from 1522 onward, the family was already cultivating vines in the locality known as Le Léon, between Aÿ and Dizy. Winegrowers, merchants, and later royal mayors of Aÿ, its members passed down from generation to generation the same passion for Champagne, symbolized by their red-and-gold checkered 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 carved out in the 18th century, once attached to the Château de Mareuil. The family is still at the helm with Charles Philipponnat, the sixteenth generation, who has led 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 hillsides 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 requires the grapes to ripen slowly: the bunches mature gently while retaining fine natural acidity, essential to the balance and longevity of great Champagnes. The best-exposed plots, facing due south, capture the best of the sunshine, starting with Clos des Goisses, renowned as one of the warmest terroirs in the region.

Clos des Goisses, Philipponnat’s iconic monopole

Clos des Goisses is at the heart of Philipponnat’s identity. This 5.5-hectare walled vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ runs down a south-facing hillside above the Marne: with a slope reaching 45 degrees, it is the steepest hillside in all of Champagne. Its name says it all: in old Champagne dialect, “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 terroir, then left abandoned, 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-driven philosophy to other historic localities such as Le Léon, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Les Cintres, and La Rémissonne.

Style and expertise of Philipponnat Champagnes: the perpetual reserve

The house style is immediately recognizable: 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 sparingly—sometimes with no added sugar at all—so as not to mask the purity of the fruit. It also deliberately limits the natural second 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 the 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 indicates on its back labels the base year of the blend, the dosage, and the disgorgement date—valuable information for enthusiasts.

Aging potential and recognition of Philipponnat wines

Thanks to their structure and acidity, Philipponnat Champagnes are among the region’s most age-worthy. In a temperature-controlled cellar, they evolve slowly: aromas of fresh fruit give way to notes of dried fruit, honey, brioche, and truffle, while the framework remains taut and precise. The great terroir cuvées can endure for several decades. This longevity, combined with 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

Neighboring the grands crus of Aÿ, the house shares its taste for Pinot Noir and vinous character with other names from the Marne Valley, such as Bollinger and Deutz, and belongs to the family of full-bodied, oak-aged Champagnes also favored by Krug. Through its attachment to terroir and its gastronomic vision of Champagne, Philipponnat contributes fully to the renown of Champagne and its wines of character.

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