2003 Philipponnat Cuvee 1522

The 2003 Extra Brut Grand Cru Cuvee 1522 is terrific in this vintage. Clean veins of persistent, chalky minerality frame expressive fruit, spice and floral notes. Intense and focused, the 2003 stands out for its pure energy, something that is quite rare in this vintage. I don’t think the 2003 will last forever, but it is exceptionally polished and totally delicious right now. Dosage was 4 grams per liter, which helps give the 2003 it unusual but very welcome tension. This bottle was disgorged in October 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. I tasted a wide range of fabulous wines with Charles Philipponnat this year. Over the years, the knock on Philipponnat was that few of the entry and mid-level wines were consistent in quality with the flagship Clos des Goisses, one of the true icons of Champagne. I find that much less of an issue these days. One criticism I do have with Philipponnat is with the roses, which generally are made by adding still red wine to the blanc versions of those same Champagnes. While this method, called ‘assemblage,’ is quite common in Champagne, it is much less typical of estates that aspire to make world-class Champagnes, as Philipponnat does. At most of the top houses, the roses are made as stand alone wines, in other words, conceived and executed from the bottom up as their own entities rather than based off another wine. Importers: The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484; Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620