Philipponnat is one of the very few family-run Champagne companies left and they have been in Champagne since 1532 when their family moved to Aÿ. In 1910 they moved 10km down the road to Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and in 1935 they acquired the prestigious ‘Clos de Goisses’ single vineyard. This is the jewel in the crown for them as a single vineyard producing ripe Pinot Noir grapes is very rare in Champagne. They are a medium sized company with an annual production of 600,000 bottles, so they are medium-sized by Champagne standards. They manage to supply one third of their own grapes which in Champagne, where wine grape prices are some of the highest in the world, is also quite a rare thing and gives them a degree of independence.   more »

I was very pleased to be invited to participate in the recent Wine Assessment Tasting, hosted by The Australian Wine Research Institute. Those attending included a mixture of journalists, wine educators, winemakers and trade,   more »