Philipponnat

The Philipponnat brand was created and officially registered in 1910, but the history of the maison is much older, in fact it starts from Switzerland, precisely from Fribourg: in 1522, in fact, the family decided to move to Ay, in Champagne, after having inherited from ancestor April de Philipponnat purchased some land for war merit, donated to his ancestor by King Francis I of France. The Philipponnats then began the cultivation of grapes and the production of wine with the coat of arms of the Maison which was proposed for the first time in 1697. In 1910, on the occasion of the acquisition of the historic cellars in the castle of Mareuil sur Ay, dug underground in 1700 , the real history of the maison begins. 1935 should be recorded as a historical date for the winery, as the prestigious Clos de Goisses was purchased, a particular vineyard of approximately 5 hectares, on the coast, with perfect southern exposure, in a dominant position over the Vallée de la Marne, and surrounded from ancient walls since 1887. It is a very steep terrain, oscillating between 35 and 45% and this, together with the chalk of which it is made, gives the grapes the opportunity for a particular maturation of the highest quality. From this small vineyard was born a historic label of the maison, which became very famous in Italy because it was the favorite of the lawyer Gianni Agnelli. The other vineyards extend over approximately 20 hectares, mostly used for the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The ancient art of sparkling winemaking with the Champenoise Method is perfected, in the Philipponnat maison, using the Solera method in wood which gives the champagnes a truly unique touch. It must also be said that Philipponnat was the first Maison to indicate the disgorgement date on its labels, thus communicating to consumers the age of each cuvée on the market. In the cellar, the wines benefit from a period of refinement in the bottle, on the yeasts, ranging from 3 to 11 years, a very long time which affirms a truly particular and unique style, recognized throughout the world. In 1997 the Maison was acquired by the international Lanson-BCC group and subsequently directed by Charles Philipponnat, the last heir of the family.