Winemaker Notes
Light gold in appearance. A fresh, expressive nose with aromas of almond and pear. The finish is spicy, with notes of pepper and chartreuse. Fresh and pure, with the spicy notes typical from the terroir of Ay. The finish is long, with toasted, green tea notes.A superb accompaniment to seafood and poached or grilled fish due to the very dry character of this extra brut cuvée. Its dryness contrasts well with the fattiness of poultry such as capon. An even bolder match can be made with caviar or very spicy dishes such as an Indian tandoori. Cuvée 1552 is wonderfully full-bodied, making it an excellent Champagne to accompany meals. Sweet or sweet and sour dishes should, however, be avoided. Serve chilled but not too cold.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This Champagne produced from Grand Cru grapes is rich, the Pinot Noir shining with its structure and ripe white fruits. Because of the low dosage, the wine’s acidity is prominent, so it will be worth giving it more time. Drink from 2022
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Disgorged in March 2021 with 4.5 grams per liter dosage, Philipponnat's 2014 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Cuvée 1522 exhibits aromas of crisp yellow apples, stone fruit, buttery pastry and citrus oil. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and elegantly vinous, with a layered core of fruit, bright girdling acids and a seamless profile, it's beautifully balanced and should age with considerable grace. As I've written before, this cuvée derives its name from the year in which the Philipponnat family settled in Ay, and it's intended to foreground the virtues of the wines of that village.
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Wine Spectator
Opens with a clear chime of lemon curd flavor, both tangy and creamy on the palate, and layered alongside a smoky mineral undertow, with notes of dried cherry and roasted nut. This savory version is clean-cut, lightly juicy throughout and would pair well with food, try mussels or other shellfish. Chalky finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’