2018 Philipponnat Cuvee 1522

A quarter of the wine for the 2018 Champagne Grand Cru 1522 Extra Brut was barrel fermented (72% of the wine was done without malo to retain tension in the wine). In the glass, it pours a straw/light copper-toned color, and the nose is very pretty and well-detailed, with wonderfully pure notes of beeswax, fresh peach, almond pastry, delicate spice, and raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, it’s elegant and graceful in this vintage, with a refined, pillowy mousse, a slowly tapering finish, and a chalky texture. It is a lovely wine now, but it will benefit from several years in the cellar. 9000 bottles were produced, and it was disgorged in October of 2023. Drink 2025-2040.

The 2018 Extra Brut 1522 is a blend of 72% Pinot Noir from Aÿ and 28% from Oger. Ample and resonant in the glass, the 2018 is a wine of notable stature. Pinot is very much front and center in both the wine's flavor profile and structural feel. Red plum, kirsch, spice, chamomile, leather and dried flowers build into the huge, palate-staining finish. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 2023.

Philipponnat’s 2018 Extra-Brut 1522 Grand Cru is a great success—not just in the context of the vintage. Comprising 72% Pinot Noir from the Le Léon vineyard in Aÿ and 28% Chardonnay from Oger, it wafts from the glass with a deep bouquet of orange peel, crisp apple, peach and gooseberry mingling with bread. On the palate, it is full-bodied, elegantly muscular and impeccably balanced, with a deep core of crisp fruit, tangy acidity and a long, sapid finish. Disgorged in October 2023 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, this is a wine of real character.