CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPONNAT 'Le Leon' Ay Grand Cru Extra Brut 2014

Grape

100% Pinot Noir

Tasting notes

Bright gold in colour, this wine reveals fine, creamy bubbles that form a persistent ring. The nose is open and fruit-driven, offering notes of black fruits such as blueberries and blackberries. With aeration, warm spices emerge—gingerbread, cinnamon, and star anise—leading to a finish with subtle hints of vanilla. On the palate, it shows good structure and a generous, creamy attack, unfolding into flavours of blackberry and redcurrant. The finish is long, intense, and marked by a beautiful minerality, characteristic of the Aÿ terroir.

More About The Winery

Champagne Philipponnat is a historic family house based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, with roots in the region dating back to 1522. For over five centuries, the Philipponnat family has been closely connected to Champagne, building a reputation for precise, terroir-driven wines with strong Pinot Noir character. Today, the house is led by Charles Philipponnat, continuing the family’s commitment to quality and identity.

The house owns vineyards in some of Champagne’s finest terroirs, including Premier and Grand Cru villages across the Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne. Pinot Noir plays a central role in the style, bringing structure, depth, and ageing potential, complemented by Chardonnay for freshness and Pinot Meunier for balance. Sustainable viticulture and careful parcel selection are key elements of the philosophy.

Philipponnat is particularly renowned for its iconic Clos des Goisses, a historic single vineyard overlooking the Marne River, known for producing powerful, structured, and long-lived Champagnes. Across the range, the wines are vinified with precision, often using a proportion of oak and reserve wines to enhance complexity while maintaining freshness and purity.

The style of Champagne Philipponnat is defined by tension, vinosity, and elegance, offering structured Champagnes with depth, mineral backbone, and excellent ageing potential.