Philipponnat Royale Réserve Champagne

What to expect - High quality producer using sustainable practices in the vineyard and winery - Based along the Marne Valley in famous Mareuil-sur-Aÿ near Billecart-Salmon - Pair with charcuterie and light dishes A Brut NV is the calling card of every champagne house. Philipponnat champions pinot noir and this underpins their style. Think spiced apple, lifted pineapple and some crème caramel notes coming from the some of the oak integration and the sugar addition. There is balance to this wine with clean fruit and refreshing red apple. If you are looking for a new brut style of champagne, Philipponnat will surely impress and the quality speaks for itself. They have very informative back labels, which tell you about the year of harvest that makes up the base wine (2014), the amount of wine aged in oak (48%), the disgorgement date (July 2018) and dosage level (8 g/l) along with varieties (65% pinot / 30% chardonnay / 5% meunier) and proportion of premier and grand cru fruit two-thirds. About the house One of the most underrated champagnes in our humble opinion. Philipponnat is a house of outstanding quality from their entry level Royale Reserve Brut all the way through to their iconic Clos des Goisses vintages. This premium producer picks fruit with maximum ripeness and focus on pinot noir fruit with power. All this ripeness is balanced with a long, cool fermentation and some wines being blocked from malolactic fermentation whilst being fermented in oak barrels. Carefully blending of base wines complete the work of art on non-vintage cuvees with approximately 30% of reserve wines being added. Reserve wines are aged in a perpetual solera system with new wines being added to older wines every year continuously adding more complexity and depth to young cuvees. Food suggestion Your are in aperitif country here so simple food pairings with charcuterie and light cheeses with fresh summer fruits. Reviews 95 / 100 "I have long loved Royale Réserve, revelling in the full depth of Mareuil pinot and all the theatrics of partial barrel fermentation, ever a reliable and affordable go-to. Never has it looked as dashingly gorgeous as it does today. Radiating through its pretty, pale-straw hue, this is a fresh and lively expression of the delightful, deep red and black cherry fruits of pinot noir from the south-facing slopes of the Montagne de Reims. It captures the essence of Philipponnat in contrasting rich, ripe fruit with tension and poise. Ripe malic acidity is delightfully fine, tangy and impeccably integrated, underlined by finely structured chalk minerality. It lingers very long and pure, dancing with pristine, enticing red cherry purity." Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide 2020-21