Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Extra Brut 2013 (750ML)

99 WE / 98+ WI / 98 WA / 98 VM / 97 JS / 97 WI / 18.5+ JR

The new release of this Champagne is impressively stylish. It comes from a vertiginous vineyard facing north across the Marne river, the soil producing a wine with intense minerality and texture that demands time to soften. So, the blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is set for further aging. Ideally, wait for this magnificent wine until 2025. — Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

A finely cut vinous gem, the Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2013 Extra Brut is imbued with exceptional finesse owing to the cooler, and later 2013 vintage conditions that allowed a smaller than usual crop from an already low-yielding, old vines Clos to ripen slowly and gain tremendous depth and fruit intensity. The final blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chardonnay has a little more Pinot Noir than usual for the Clos cuvée, and a higher than normal 50% was fermented in oak barrel with no malolactic fermentation. With more than a year of post-disgorgement bottle age at the time of tasting, this 2013 shows gorgeous, honeyed aromas that twine around dense stone fruit, pomegranate, butter pastry and lemon oil with an ephemeral chalky note. The full-bodied, similarly honeyed palate is luminous with supple freshness and satiny acid intensity that seamlessly glides through layers of red fruit on to a very crisp, chalk-laced finish. Exceptional. Disgorged in March 2022, it was finished Extra Brut with a 4.5 gram per liter dosage. - Sarah Mayo, Wine Independent

Surpassing even the 2012 and 2008, Philipponnat's 2013 Extra-Brut Clos des Goisses looks to be the finest vintage of this cuvée in several decades, at least on first acquaintance. Deriving from only the six core parcels out of the 13 that make up the Clos des Goisses, it's a striking wine, evoking aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, Anjou pear, clear honey, bee pollen, stone fruit and iodine. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, its textural attack segues into a deep, concentrated and tightly wound mid-palate that's girdled by racy acids and chalky structure, before concluding with a long, saline finish. Why is it quite so good? It would appear that 2013 was the perfect storm: an early-ripening terroir in a cool, late vintage; moderately yielding Burgundian selections of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that attained full maturity; and a willingness to make a strict selection have all come together to deliver a profound Clos des Goisses. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

The 2013 Extra-Brut Clos des Goisses is fabulous. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2013 is in no mood to show all its cards. The late harvest produced a bristling, intensely saline Clos des Goisses that will require years to be at its best. Even so, its depth, textural resonance and finish are so evocative as to what the future holds. The 2013 is a positively stunning Champagne and one of the best Goisses in recent memory. I can't wait to see how it develops. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

This is elegant and sophisticated with aromas of red apples, honey, pears, hazelnuts, praline, croissants and hints of white chocolate. Very fine, tight bubbles. Framed and structured. Focused from start to finish, with so much life ahead. 85% pinot noir and 15% chardonnay. Disgorged March 2022. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the 2013 Clos des Goisses needs a little patience to allow ripe apple, candied ginger, and mandarin peel scents to emerge, followed by a toasty undercurrent and nuances of oyster shell and jasmine. The palate has exquisitely fine bubbles and electric, spine-tingling tension, with bags of subtle savory, toasty and citrusy flavors, finishing long and chalky. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

Disgorged March 2022. An exceptionally late harvest, the only one in October in the last 20 years.
Pungent, fumy nose. Extremely tense with masses of acidity in evidence at this pre-release stage. A dry finish and an extremely promising work in progress. - Jancis Robinson