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Wine Description
The Story
First press juice from exclusively Premier and Grand Cru plots. 100% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and our vineyards in Mareuil-sur-Ay and Ay.
vinification
Vinified using traditional methods to avoid premature oxidation. Partial malolactic fermentation for the wines in vats and vinification without malolactic fermentation for the wines in wooden barrels. Extra-brut dosage (4.25 g/litre) to maintain a balance between freshness and vinosity without masking the wine’s character and purity.
aging
Aged for five to seven years to develop maximum complexity and to highlight the secondary and tertiary aromas which are the hallmark of extended aging on lees.
Wine Information
2011 was a year of contrasts. A dry, cold winter up until the end of January was followed by a surprisingly warm and early spring, encouraging rapid growth of vegetation. From the end of May, there was another complete change: the weather turned rainy, alternating with both very hot and then cool spells, threatening the health of the grapes. The first grapes were picked at the end of August, and the 2011 harvest was the earliest in the history of Philipponnat and Champagne, but reveals a vintage of pure finesse.
Vintage 2011
Champagne Vintage 2011 / Pinot noir especially stood out this year, while pinot meunier was a ected partly by attacks. The winter came unusually early, in November of the previous year, but a mild late spring still led to a owering in May. The blending wines still have a fairly thin structure and a disturbing tone of bubblegum. Actually, this was one of the few autumns I have been present at harvest. I went around and made unannounced visits here and there. The strongest impression and question mark was actually the huge amount of invasive ladybugs that were caught in the presses and left a nasty, urine-saturated stabbing scent in the press houses. Will this leave an impression? I fail to see it disappear given how strong it was. Apart from that, I will never forget it was 86°F and the autumn sun radiant, when we celebrated with a magnum and reworks into the wee hours in Moulin de Verzenay.
by Richard Juhlin
