2012 Champagne Philipponnat Clos Des Goisses Les Cintres Extra Brut, Vallee de la Marne

Beautiful and intense aromas of dried apples, spices, crushed stones, walnuts, brioche and hints of salted caramel. It’s so deep and full of flavor, evolving on the palate, layered and seamless. Tight, fine bubbles. Energy, intensity and structure combined to give a long and driven finish. 100% pinot noir. Disgorged June 2022. 2,176 bottles produced. Drink or hold.

 98 points jamessuckling.com

From an outstanding vintage, the 2012 Les Cintres extra brut derives from vines planted on two parcels inside the Clos des Goisses walled vineyard planted with Pinot Noir. It possesses a multifaceted, intense bouquet with aromas of pear, spring flowers, cherries, ripe orchard fruits, crushed stones, honey and rose petals, followed by a full-bodied, fleshy and racy palate that’s simultaneously crystalline and pure with a splendid core of fruit, racy acids and a long, endless finish. Presently, it stands as the most exceptional Les Cintres rendition. Dosage was 4.5 grams per liter.

97+ points Yohan Castaing robertparker.com

The 2012 Champagne Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Les Cintres Extra Brut is an ultra-rare, site-specific release from the warmest, steepest heart of the legendary Clos des Goisses vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Les Cintres is the central, sunniest section of the Clos, where the chalk is closest to the surface and the vines are most exposed. This bottling represents a pure, focused expression of terroir — powerful, mineral, and uncompromisingly dry. Produced only in exceptional vintages and in extremely limited quantities, Les Cintres is one of the most distinctive and collectible Champagnes made today.

The 2012 vintage was marked by a cool spring, challenging flowering and a warm, dry summer that produced low yields but outstanding fruit. Les Cintres 2012 is 100% Pinot Noir, fermented in oak barrels without malolactic fermentation to preserve its purity and structure. Aged on lees for nearly a decade before disgorgement, it was finished with an extra brut dosage of just 4.5 g/L.

In the glass, it shows a pale gold colour with fine, persistent bubbles and aromas of lemon oil, roasted hazelnut, white peach, chalk, oyster shell and subtle toast. The palate is taut and layered, with citrus zest, crushed stone, almond skin and a salty, iodine-like minerality that runs straight through the finish. It is laser-focused, immensely structured and long, with a dry, crystalline close.

Food pairing: exceptional with caviar, sea urchin, oysters, Dover sole with beurre blanc, or sashimi. Also brilliant with aged goat’s cheese or langoustines poached in citrus butter.

Cellar potential: will age for 20 to 30 years. Already complex but will evolve greater savoury detail, honeyed depth and textural richness with time.