Philipponnat Ay 'Le Leon' Single Plot Champagne 2006
"Le Leon" plot, located between Ay and Dizy, is one of both the Champagne region's and the house historic terrors; Apvril le Philipponnat owned vines there as early as 1522. Classified as a Grand Cru, it is planted exclusively to Pinot Noir. The 2006 vintage ‚"Le Leon" single-plot cute offers notes of citrus, white pepper, sweet pepper and strawberries, characteristic of the minerality of the Ay chalk terroir. This exceptional champagne is a subtle match for seafood and saltwater fish and is also a perfect accompaniment for roast meat, ballota ham and washed rind cheese.
The Blend
100% Pinots Noirs from the only plot at Le Léon in Ay. First press juice of exclusively Grand Cru grapes from the heart of the Champagne wine-growing area.
Vinification
Vinified using traditional methods to avoid premature oxidation, with no malolactic fermentation. A portion of the wines (45%) is fermented in casks. «Extra-brut » dosage (4.25 g/litre) to maintain a balance between freshness and vinosity without masking the wine’s character and purity.
Aging
Aged for at least seven years in the House’s cellars at a constant temperature of 12°C to develop maximum complexity and to highlight the wine’s secondary and tertiary aromas, which are the hallmark of extended aging on lees.
| Winery | Philipponnat |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Wine Type | Champagne / Sparkling |
| Grape variety | Pinot Noir |
| Bottle Size | Bottle |
| Vintage | 2006 |
Browse all Philipponnat Wines
The Philipponnat vineyards are predominantly planted with Pinot Noir and are located in the heart of the Premiers and Grands Crus appellations from the south of the Montagne de Reims : Mareuil sur Aÿ, Aÿ, Avenay, and Mutigny. Each vineyard bears an evocative name: Remissonne, 28 verges, La Dure, l'Ecluse, la Croix des Goisses, Buisson Saint-Loup, les Valofroy...
The most famed vineyard owned by Philipponat is Clos des Goisses. Clos des Goisses is a five and a half hectare site where a number of rare qualities coincide to produce an exceptional wine in which the House rightly takes pride. Overlooking the Marne, a south-facing hillside is divided into plots of land encircled with walls and accessed by small stone-steps, such is the steepness of the slope. All work is performed by hand on this unique site. Receiving the maximum possible amount of sunshine, the grapes there reach a superior maturity, proof of a strong, complex and extremely mineral wine, which can age for more than 30 years.
Philipponat only use the first press of juice as all the other presses will be used by its second label. All vintage wines will normally have 50% of the wine fermented in oak barrel.
