Philipponnat Champagne Le Clos des Goisses L.V. 1996 750ml

Lots of bread dough and rancio with dried-apple and white-pepper aromas that follow through to a full body with a tight and beautiful palate of intense yeast and fresh pie. Raw pie crust at the end, as well as almond cream and some cheese. Steely. Unique late release. Drink now.

The 1996 Extra-Brut Clos des Goisses L.V. has reached a glorious peak of expression. Apricot, burnt sugar, spice, pastry, hazelnut and a whole range of reductive notes that have developed in bottle fill out the layers. In 1996, Clos des Goisses was still aged on cork (for both the original and L.V. releases. Over time, cork seems to given the 1996 an especially relaxed, resonant feel. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: March, 2021. (Originally published in May 2021)

Philipponnat’s 1996 Clos des Goisses L.V., disgorged in March 2022 with the house’s customary dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, underwent vinification equally in stainless steel and large oak foudres (25 hectoliters). While among the leanest renditions of Clos des Goisses, it remains more generous and expansive than many other expressions of the 1996 vintage, shaped by its warm, south-facing site. The bouquet bursts from the glass with aromas evocative of peeled almonds and roasted cacao beans, mingling with notes of lemon confit, oyster juice and salted nuts. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, chiseled and vinous, driven by the electric acidity characteristic of the vintage and concluding with a saline and lemon-laced finish. While it doesn’t quite achieve the harmony of the 2008 Clos des Goisses—another relatively high-acid year—the wine remains compelling, though its aromatic range feels slightly out of sync with its linear palate. Charles Philipponnat notes that the harvest began on September 14th.