Philipponnat, Royale Reserve Brut, NV, 375ml

The purest expression of the Philipponnat style.
This réserve perpétuelle is an eponymous Champagne practice of progressively blending the current year’s wines with wines from previous vintages. The idea is to preserve the freshness of the blend through successive renewals without losing any of the complexity acquired through ageing.
The new blend brings together all the vintages successively blended since 1946, the year of the first harvest on which the Réserve Perpétuelle cuvée is based.
Each year, the cuvée is enriched by a new vintage, in a proportion of two thirds, with which are blended the ever-increasing sum of past harvests – one third of the cuvée.
Once blended, one third of the cuvée is reserved in oak barrels and tuns and continues to age in wood until the next harvest, when it is blended to complete a new iteration of this perpetual cycle of renewal.

Vinification
First press of grapes from the heart of the Champagne region, mainly from the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus of Pinot Noir around Mareuil-sur-Ay. Traditional vinification in vats and wooden barrels, avoiding any premature oxidation.
Of the wines from the 2021 harvest, 27% were produced without malolactic fermentation. Aged in casks to instil a sublime depth and patina, our reserve wines are a treasure that the House re-blends and renews each year, incorporating them into the new harvest to make it more complex while preserving its minerality.
A moderate dosage (8 g/l) to maintain the balance between freshness, fruitiness and vinosity without masking the wine’s character or purity.

Ageing
Aged on lees in the House cellars at a constant temperature of 12°C for a minimum of three years – much longer than the legal minimum of fifteen months.

Dosage
Brut 8 g/l

Eye
Deep gold in colour with amber glints. Fine, fast and persistent bubbles.
Nose
Initial nose of vine flowers, lime blossom and lightly toasted fresh bread. On aeration, a nose of red berries, citrus fruit and honey.
Palate
The palate is beautifully strong, fruity (redcurrant, raspberry, ripe grape) and full-bodied, at once ample and long. The finish brings a hint of biscuit and freshly baked bread.

Service and Pairing
Serve chilled but not iced (8°C) for an aperitif. A superb match for white meat, poultry and fine charcuterie served hot or cold. An excellent choice for cold buffets, fish and seafood.

In a cool, dark cellar, Royale Reserve Brut retains its balance and liveliness for around two years. The wine then evolves for at least another five years, becoming more complex and rounded.