The story begins in 1522, when April le Philipponnat was registered as owner of an estate in Ay.
In 1910, Auguste and Pierre Philipponnat settle in Mareuil sur Aÿ and start using the old wine cellars (18th Century) of the castle and give their House its modern commercial momentum despite the onset of the First World War and a widespread phylloxera crisis.
In 1935, Pierre Philipponnat acquires the Clos des Goisses, a unique south-facing, 5 ½ hectare-vineyard on the flank of the Gruguet hill. Breaking with the tradition of blending in Champagne, he creates a remarkable single-vineyard wine.
Today, Philipponnat is one of the main owners of grand and premier cru vineyards, with its 17-hectare vineyard holding comprising mainly Pinot Noir grapes. The vines are located in the villages of Mareuil, Avenay, Mutigny and Ay and each have traditional and symbolic names: Les Remissones, La Bauve, Buisson Saint Loup, Cuivron, etc.
The Philipponnat style is for intensity, with the predominance of Pinot Noir in the blends and the tradition of picking slightly later than most; and freshness, thanks to the use of a minimum of 30% of Chardonnay, only the first pressing makes it in the cuvees, and a very moderate dosage, which protects the aromatic freshness and the natural minerality of the base wines.
The 1522 wines are the tete de cuvees of Philipponnat`s house style. Named to commemorate the date that the Philipponnat family first owned vineyards in Champagne, the grapes in this cuvee come from various Grand Crus vineyards that Philipponnat owns and sources. This was formerly a Non Vintage blend, but starting with the 2000 vintage, it now bears a vintage date. This has a big and bold nose full of spicy meaty citrus and red tinged pears yet the palate is full of verve and energy with clean citrus and a stunning dose of minerality.
