2000 Philipponnat Cuvee 1522

The 2000 Brut Grand Cru Cuvée 1522 is 60% Pinot Noir from Aÿ and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil sur Oger and Cramant, with partial aging in oak and partial malo, and 4-5 grams of dosage. This mid-weight, fresh Champagne offers generous notes of peaches, pears, flowers and spices in a beautifully balanced, focused style. The wine possesses outstanding persistence and a long, refreshing finish, with lingering notes of sweetness on the close. Freshness and acidity play a larger role here than in the 2000 Brut Grand Blanc, which tends towards a more honeyed expression of fruit. This is Lot: 1522006118, disgorged April 2006.

The 2000 Brut Grand Blanc reveals pretty, floral apricots, peaches and honey in a mid-weight style. This easygoing wine offers good length and balance. The 2000 comes across as somewhat flabby and lacking the verve of the 1999. The Brut Grand Blanc is 100% Chardonnay from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in Montagne de Reims and Cotes des Blancs. Part of the wine is fermented in barrel with no malolactic fermentation, while the wines aged in tank do undergo malolactic fermentation. Dosage is around 8/9 grams per liter. This is Lot: LGB007274, disgorged September, 2007. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2011. Philipponnat makes a wide range of wines but the house’s fame rests squarely on the monumental Clos des Goisses, a Pinot-dominated Champagne that emerges from a 5.5 hectare vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Ay. Oddly enough Clos des Goisses remains a wine for insiders despite a track record few wines can match, as it is one of the most ageworthy Champagnes on the market. Quality throughout the rest of the range is less brilliant. Importer: Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Inc., Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153

(disgorged April, 2006) Light gold with a fine, strong bead. Smoky lemon, pear, brioche and floral aromas, with a suave mineral underpinning. Sharply focused Meyer lemon and tangerine flavors gain weight with air, taking a turn to apple and pear while maintaining vivacity. Elegant, balanced and precise, with very good finishing lift and thrust.