2010 Philipponnat Brut Clos des Goisses

Disgorged in March 2019 with 4.5 grams per liter dosage, there are a mere 5,000 bottles of the 2010 Extra Brut Clos des Goisses. Describing the year as one that tended to be "fat and heavy," Charles Philipponnat explained that he feared the resulting wine might be too aromatic and evolve too rapidly, so he made a rigorous selection of only the freshest, liveliest lots—though he now regrets not making a little more. Offering up aromas of pear, waxy citrus fruit, fresh pastry, vanilla pod and a light touch of smoky reduction, the wine is full-bodied, broad and layered, with a textural, highly concentrated profile, ripe acids and a precise, mineral finish. Philipponnat is happy with the result but suspects that the wine will become buttery with bottle age and that it will always be a little atypical.

The 2010 Clos des Goisses shows a distinctly tropical, exotic profile that is unusual in Clos des Goisses. Candied orange peel, passionfruit, burnt sugar, mint and yellow flowers all meld together in the glass. Lush fruit, low-ish acid and soft contours add to the wine’s soft, open-knit feel. Time in the glass brings out more lifted, perfumed notes that add to the wine’s overall appeal. Two-thousand-ten presented significant challenges in the vineyard, including high disease pressure that required quite a bit of sorting. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay (a bit more Chardonnay than normal), while production is just 5,000 bottles. Clos des Goisses has an extraordinary track record, so ordinarily I would not suggest opening wines young, but the 2010 is a rare exception. That said, it needs 1-2 hours of air to show at its best at this early stage of its life.

Officially disgorged in March 2019 to be released in September. Dosage 4.5 g/l. Just 5,000 bottles. Short crop. 71% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay. About half fermented in oak. Some elements are too big and forward. Slightly less dense than the 2009. Lots of fresh, lemony Chardonnay character. Charles regrets they didn’t make more because he’s actually quite pleased with it. Lemon cough sweets. (JR)