2013 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Extra Brut Champagne [WE99][WA98][D97]

"The new release of this Champagne is impressively stylish. It comes from a vertiginous vineyard facing north across the Marne river, the soil producing a wine with intense minerality and texture that demands time to soften. So, the blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is set for further aging. Ideally, wait for this magnificent wine until 2025." 

"Surpassing even the 2012 and 2008, Philipponnat's 2013 Extra-Brut Clos des Goisses looks to be the finest vintage of this cuvée in several decades, at least on first acquaintance. Deriving from only the six core parcels out of the 13 that make up the Clos des Goisses, it's a striking wine, evoking aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, Anjou pear, clear honey, bee pollen, stone fruit and iodine. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, its textural attack segues into a deep, concentrated and tightly wound mid-palate that's girdled by racy acids and chalky structure, before concluding with a long, saline finish. Why is it quite so good? It would appear that 2013 was the perfect storm: an early-ripening terroir in a cool, late vintage; moderately yielding Burgundian selections of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that attained full maturity; and a willingness to make a strict selection have all come together to deliver a profound Clos des Goisses." 

"Charles Philipponnat made a stunning Clos des Goisses in 2013, perhaps one of the finest in several vintages. With a delicate and sumptuous bouquet evoking Mirabelle plum, honey, spring flowers, spices and chalky/iodine notes, this Champagne has a full-bodied, vinous and elegant structure. It has a crystalline texture, with a chalky tension leading the way to a mouthwatering finish. This magnificent Champagne should be cellared for at least five to 10 years."