Philipponnat

Philipponnat is a French Champagne house owned by the family of the same name whose wine history in the region dates back to the 16th Century when they were growers and merchants, supplying wine to the court of Louis XIV. The company's 18th-Century cellars were part of the Château de Mareuil.

The company is particularly known for the Clos des Goisses vintage deluxe cuvées (brut and rosé), made from and named for a 5.5-hectare (13.6-acre) walled vineyard on an unshaded 45-degree slope facing due south, which is regarded to provide the region's warmest terroir. The collection also includes the Royale Réserve non-vintage line and a broad selection of styles of vintage wines.

In total the company has 17 hectares (42 acres) of vineyards in Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Avenay which are all classed as Premier or Grand Cru. In the cellar, Philipponnat uses a form of solera system of aging for the reserve wine component of its non-vintage blends, blending a quarter to one-third of the barrel-aged reserve wine with the current year's production, and retaining a portion of this blend to form the reserve wine for the following year. The house claims to be the first to indicate on the back label the main year used in the non-vintage blends, along with the dosage level and date of disgorgement.