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Wine Description
The Story
The name of Cuvée 1522 is a tribute to the year when the Philipponnat family settled in the village of Ay, in the heart of the Champagne wine-growing area. The family’s ancestors can be traced back in time through the House archives right back to the first, Apvril le Philipponnat, who from 1522 owned vines in “Le Léon”, between Ay and Dizy.
the blend
58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir comes from our vineyard at “Le Léon” in Ay, and the Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger.
vinification
A portion of the wines are vinified in wooden barrels without malolactic fermentation to preserve the wine’s freshness, allowing it to develop complexity. Both ample and tangy, this cuvée is eminently suitable for low dosage, extra brut, with only 4.25 g/litre, which is just one third of the conventional dosage for a brut champagne.
aging
Aged for eight years. After this time, the freshness is still apparent, but the benefit of aging on lees has reached full potential.
Vintage 2002
A cold winter and a mild late spring cued for a perfect June allowing early and fast flowering. Outstanding weather conditions prevailed and the season went on without dramatic turns. Rains in August raised concerns regarding gray rot, but finally sunshine and dry conditions throughout September resulted in an abundant crop of largely healthy fruit (11,930 kg/ha). Dehydration due to wind further aided in achieving perfect ripeness and additional concentration. This, and the cool nights, helped in retaining fresh acidity and, despite the ripeness (10.3% potential alcohol), the wines did not suffer from heaviness or a lack of life. A near-perfect vintage, which produced balanced Champagnes consistently around the region. The best show an impeccable combination of freshness, power, structure and finesse. However, some have matured aromatically quicker than expected and are already past their peak. 2002 produced an abundance of spectacular champagnes, such as Dom Pérignon (the entire range), Krug Vintage and Clos du Mesnil, Piper-Heidsieck Rare, Louis Roederer Cristal and Cristal Rosé, Ruinart Dom Ruinart and Dom Ruinart Rosé, Salon Le Mesnil and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, to name a few.
