Philipponnat Cuvee 1522 Extra Brut 2008 (750ML)

94 WA / 94 JS / 93 WS / 92 VM

Mainly from Aÿ (with a bit of Mailly and Oger as well as Cramant) the 2008 Grand Cru Extra Brut 1522 blends 58% Pinot Noir with 42% Chardonnay and opens with a concentrated tropical fruit aroma (pineapples, stone fruits, almonds) but remains precise and chalky as well as spicy on the nose. Full-bodied, fresh and clear on the palate, with nutty and lingering mineral flavors, this is a very complex and firmly structured yet very delicate and expressively mineral Champagne with a long and tight finish. Roughly 50% aged in oak, this bottle was disgorged in March 2018 and will be released in May. Tasted at the domaine in April 2018. SR – The Wine Advocate

The slightly dominant pinot-noir component (58 per cent) is outgunned by chardonnay’s grapefruit and lemons on the nose. Chalky, fresh and zesty, stony minerals here, too. The palate is dry, crisp and even with gently nutty warmth through the restrained, long and compact finish. Excellent. Try in 2020. James Suckling

An elegant Champagne, dry and lacy in texture, with a crisp, delicate range of green pear, kiwi fruit, lemon pith, picked ginger and chalky mineral notes that linger on the clean-cut finish. Disgorged July 2018. Drink now through 2028. 1,225 cases made, 100 cases imported. - Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator

The 2008 Cuvée 1522 is wonderfully rich, creamy and expansive in all of its dimensions. White peach, flowers, mint and lightly honeyed notes on the rich, textured finish. A wine of vinous depth and concentration, the 2008 is likely to require a bit of time, but it is super-impressive, not to mention delicious, today. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged February 2016. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media