Since taking charge of Champagne Philipponnat in 1999, Charles Phillipponnat has created one of the greatest arrays of Pinot Noir-based cuvées in all Champagne, led by his transcendent Clos des Goisses.

Yet, with his masterly Grand Blanc, Charles demonstrates that he is just as brilliant with Chardonnay. Partially fermented and aged in barrel, and then aged five to seven years on the lees before disgorgement, Grand Blanc makes the most of its origins: the finest chalk terroirs of the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims, including a small portion from Clos des Goisses. 

But what happens when Grand Blanc is left to age on its lees for two decades? That, friends, produces a special kind of magic. Nearly suspended in time, Grand Blanc has the chance to broaden and deepen, while losing none of its highly mineral, floral freshness. 

So, when Charles was preparing to release his 2000 Grand Blanc in 2007, he decided to put a few hundred bottles aside for much longer aging in Philipponnat’s cold chalk cellars. 

Finally disgorged last March, 2000 Philipponnat Grand Blanc Extra-Brut “L.V.” (for Long Vieillissement) is both supremely complex and amazingly youthful. And its luscious opulence allowed Charles to reduce the dosage from the 5.2 g/l he used in 2007 to just 4.5 g/l for his 2021 disgorgement. 

While a fantastic drink today, 2000 Philipponnat Grand Blanc Extra-Brut “L.V.”  will easily age in a good cellar for another decade or two. 

Having tasted the wine last fall, we secured an allocation before it sold out. The wine has now arrived. And the price is ridiculously low for perfectly aged Champagne of this stature: $195.95 a bottle.