N.V. Philipponnat Champagne Royale Reserve- France, Champagne (7/1/2009)
Golden yellow with superfine mousse. Big round caramel apple with bread/yeast following on the nose. Sweet caramelly apple with a little lemon/lime and a minerally/chalky aftertaste. Very YUM. I have previously been smitten with the Goisses, but this was delicious and merits a spot in any cellar.
Nice note. Philipponnat’s entire line-up is really strong. The NV Rose is another one worth trying especially for the price. If you get a chance to try the 2002 “1522” cuvees, they are very, very good. It is a shame that they are often overlooked outside of Clos des Goisses.
I don’t have access to my copies of Champagne Warrior here at work (gotta fix that) - have you reviewed any of these non-Goisses wines from Philipponnat yet? I’m looking forward to that, especially the 02s.
Shoot me an email and I’ll send you over a way you can access the newsletters anywhere.
As for Philipponnat, I’ve reviewed most of the wines released over the last couple years. Issue 3 (should be out by July 14) will feature the following reviews:
NV
NV Non-Dose
2002 Brut, BdB, and 1522
2000 Clos des Goisses
A few Vins Clairs including the 2008 Clos des Goisses