1995 Champagne Philipponnat Clos Des Goisses L.V., Vallee de la Marne

The blend: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.

Disgorged: March 2020.

Packaged in a solid oak box. While there have already been some late disgorged wines released over the years, the L.V. range now formalises a yearly release at the same time as the current vintage. Note, we are talking about maturation on lees here, with late disgorgement for release.

The 1995 L.V was vinified under then chef de cave Norbert Thiébert, and aged for a quarter of a century in Philipponnat’s Caveau du Trésor. Total production was limited to just 311 bottles.

 The 1995 Extra-Brut LV Clos des Goisses is gorgeous. That's not at all surprising, as Clos de Goisses boasts an extraordinary track record of aging well. Now gently softened by the passage of time, the 1995 LV is in a beautiful spot right now to provide pure pleasure. Dried flowers, chamomile, plum, orange peel, hazelnut and coffee are all signatures of a wine that has reached its first plateau of maturity. Even better, the 1995 shows no signs at all of fading.

94 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com

Deep coppery-gold colour. Sumptuous nose is almost essence of floral Pinot notes. The mousse is gentle, caressing the palate. Really fresh and youthful but with many extra layers of flavour including some of those mushroomy notes that Pinot Noir can exhibit after many years in bottle. One of those champagnes that's really rather more like a f ine burgundy that happens to sparkle appetisingly. Very deep-flavoured. Although it has notes that are both youthful and mature, it seems beautifully integrated. Very long. It may, like the other Philipponnat wines, be labelled Extra Brut but it's not remotely austere.

19 points, Jancis Robinson MW

Philipponnat keeps back a small number of bottles of Clos des Goisses that are disgorged after a lengthy period of cellaring. The complex and magical nose reveals subtle resinous notes and scents of Mirabelle plum, pineapple, candied lemon, ginger, and a touch of curry spices. On the palate, this is a powerful Champagne balanced by impressive freshness and a beautiful expression of its Chardonnay component, so graceful and round. The Pinot Noir comes to the fore on the slightly chalky finish. A very beautiful Champagne now at its apogée. Dosage: 4,5 g/L. Disgorgement: March 2020. LV stands for Long Vieillissement (Long Ageing).

96 points decanter.com

 The nose is intense from the start, radiating the richness of thick, sweet, heavy cream. This creaminess is imbued with saltiness. A hint of white, fresh field mushrooms appears alongside an echo of candied lemon. There also is mirabelle, a flavour reminiscent of the caramelised edge of baked fruit. This is super-rich and more air and temperature procure a hint of spicy, salty maple syrup – without any sweetness at all, anchored in freshness and cool, pervasive chalk. With even more air there almost is a hint of chamomile. We taste the evolution of the fruit, notably not so much autolysis, there is no tiredness at all, just the delicious contradiction of mature freshness. Incredible length and intensity. A wonderful, absolutely unusual and show-stopping addition to Champagne’s illustrious gallery of late-disgorgement releases. A real experience.

Anne Krebiehl MW winemag.com