Score : 93/100
The Philipponnat Champagne house is located in the heart of the Top Pinot Noir-oriented Montagne de Reims area of the French Champagne region.
When they make a sparkling Champagne made from 100% Pinot Noir wine like the one we review here then, one can guarantee a lot of care and pride goes into it.
So all 100% Pinot Noir grapes come from the Montagne de Reims and Philipponnat’s vineyards around the town of Mareuil-sur-Ay.
Like for all wines at the house, only first press juices are used. But for this Blanc de Noirs vintage cuvée, they are produced exclusively from Premier and Grand Cru plots.
For the vinifcation process, some of the wines used in the blend have gone through partial malolactic fermentation in vats, while others where fermented in oak barrels without going through the malo.
This 2009 vintage was aged for a minimum of 5 years in bottle on its lees to develop complexity and texture.
Although it comes under the ‘brut’ sugar-level classification on the label, the 2009 Blanc de Noirs actually receives an Extra-brut dosage (at 4.25 g/litre). Philipponnat says this is to “maintain a balance between freshness and vinosity without masking the wine’s character and purity”.
So how good is this 2009 Philipponnat Blanc de Noirs Champagne?
The answer is in the tasting notes:
Elegant yellow color, slightly ‘gris’ with a touch of brownish hue almost really!
The nose is very intense, and dominated by toasted nuts tones: roasted hazelnut, macadamia.
The palate is the absolute revelation in this wine. While the nose seemed quite shy (though pretty deep), the spectrum of flavors literally explodes and complexifies immensely as you put the wine in your mouth.
Palate sensation is super silky, smooth, a little tannic with very fine phenolics, and extremely fine effervescence.
Overall
The real highlight in this Blanc de Noirs Champagne is most certainly in the astounding complexity of the flavor profile and what it reveals about the genuine quality about this fine beverage.
Coconut milk, almond, hazelnut, forest flour and an absolutely distinctive floral character make this wine’s flavors literally shine.
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