Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Extra Brut 2010 (750ML)

100 WE / 98 DE / 95+ VM / 17.5 JR

#46 Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2020

This famed Champagne comes from one of the steepest vineyards in the whole region, facing across the Marne river. With a blend of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay, the densely textured wine shows great richness, a magnificent sense of place and structure. This is a very fine wine, a monument among Champagnes, one that will age for many more years. Drink through 2030. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

The 2010 Clos des Goisses, of which there will be only 5,000 bottles, shows a generous and lively bouquet of white pepper, white flowers, apricot and hazelnut. Made from 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, it possesses a creamy, deep and crystalline texture with elegant aromas of white fruits. Opulent, distinguished and delicate at the same time, the 2010 is a scintillating expression of this cuvée. - Yohan Castaing, Decanter

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. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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. - Jancis Robinson