La Champagne au Coeur—Champagne in our hearts—is the Philipponnat house motto and reflects a legacy dating back to 1522 when the family purchased land in the area of Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ to grow grapes. Today Philipponnat is lead by 15th generation, Charles Philipponnat, cementing over 500 years as winegrowers in Champagne.

In 1935, the family acquired the renowned and unparalleled Clos des Goisses Vineyard. Situated within the 20 hectares in and around the crus where they established their original vineyards in 1522, this 5.5 hectare parcel faces due south and is comprised of pure chalk. With a steep 45 degree grade, Clos des Goisses is the source of Champagne’s first single-vineyard wine and today is one of a small handful of revered wines sought by collectors worldwide.

Philipponnat works to preserve their precious, fragile, centuries-old terroirs by using natural methods, including customized organic and biodynamic practices carried out primarily by hand or with the help of horses. The focus on preservation continues in the cellar where extensive expertise is applied to craft champagne that is intense and complex while retaining freshness and minerality. The exclusive use of first press juice, prowess with Pinot Noir, strategic use of cask fermented or matured lots and extended lees aging all contribute to the house style, but the use of the solera process is the most unique aspect of Philipponnat winemaking. This technique is a long-standing House tradition whereby reserve wines in oak barrels are included in the non-vintage blends, which then become the reserve wine for the next cuvée. This progressive dilution allows every bottle to retain traces of previous generations of Champagne so that each blend stretches back to the very beginning.