2018 Philipponnat Champagne Millesime Blanc des Noirs Extra Brut

The 2018 Extra-Brut Blane de Noirs is an understoted wine, as so many Champagnes are in 2018. This is an especially brisk, floral style of Blane de Noirs, the result of a choice of villages (Avenay-Val-dOr, Moreuil, Mailly, Vertus, Ecueil), the decision to partiolly block the malolactic fermentation and dosage that is on the low side. Grapefruit, white flowers, mint, chalk and dried herbs are all finely cut. Dosage is 4.25 grams per liter. Disgorged: June 2023.  Vinous Media 91

A word from the Cellar Master
The summer of 2018 was the driest on record:
virtually no rain from mid-June until the harvest,
and then again until the end of October.
We began the harvest on 27 August, three days
after the official starting date for Mareuil-surAy, and ended on 8 September. The quality of the
harvest was satisfactory on the whole, with yields
sometimes exceeding 12,000 kilos per hectare,
which was not surprising given the very favourable
weather conditions throughout the year.

The blend
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 Avenay.
 

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 (57%). Extra-brut
dosage (4.25 g/litre) to maintain a balance between freshness and vinosity
without masking the wine’s character or purity.

Aging
Aged for four to six years to develop maximum complexity and to highlight
the secondary and tertiary aromas that testify to extended aging on lees.