Where the opportunity to compare the two has allowed, we have seen the best 2007s stand shoulder-to-shoulder in quality with the 2006s, if not exceed them in certain areas (Cristal is a good example of this). So it was with considerable excitement that we delved into the brand-new Clos des Goisses 2007 and we were not disappointed. A stunning spun-gold colour with miniscule bubbles, this expression of Goisses is fizzing with energy and coiled power. A dense, inward nose of toasted hazelnuts, lemon meringue, both fresh and lightly cooked green apple, and orange blossom opens up over time in the glasses to reveal just the merest hint of a more tropical fruit style (melon, passion fruit). The palate has phenomenal matter and extraction that is both completely mouth-coating and yet nuanced, nimble and fresh. The lemon oil-like mid-palate is dense and powerful, but immediately balanced and injected with life by ultra-fine acidity and incredible dry minerality. This balance keeps the finish up for well over a minute. Knowing how well Goisses can age, and how important acidity is for maintaining a long and happy life in Champagne, there is no doubt that this is a long-term Goisses with masses of potential. Like a loaded spring it is merely binding its time until it is ready for the trigger to be pulled.

This shows an uncommon subtlety and finesse for the vintage, its flavours of stone and citrus fruits feeling elegantly lilting and effortlessly refined. It contrasts a silky texture with a zesty, racy structure, and it finishes with a crystalline harmony and superb length. It’s unexpectedly youthful for 2007, and I would cellar this for another decade at least. Disgorged: June 2016.

The 2007 Clos des Goisses Brut blends 65% Pinot Noir with 35% Chardonnay and opens with a bright, highly refined and complex bouquet of red fruits, fresh ginger and roasted hazelnuts. On the palate, this is a pure, highly refined and very mineral Clos des Goisses that reveals a long, complex, beautifully tensioned and iodine-laced finish. Just Beautiful! This bottle was disgorged in September 2016. Stephan Reinhardt. June 2018.

The 2007 Clos des Goisses is gorgeous. Almost shockingly finessed and light on its feet for Goisses, the 2007 is a wine of superb elegance. The power and richness of Goisses is there, but in the background. It will be many years before the 2007 blossoms into a complete, fully expressive Champagne. Even so, it is striking today. With time, hints of lemon confit, chamomile and marzipan develop in the glass, but readers will have to cellar the 2007 for at least five years, maybe more, to get the full Goisses experience. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged June, 2016. July 2017.

Disgorged in October 2023 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, Philipponnat’s 2007 Clos des Goisses—comprising 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Chardonnay—is a commendable effort, though if one were inclined to split hairs, it slightly pales in comparison when tasted alongside the more harmonious 2008 and 2009 vintages. The nose opens with aromas of honeysuckle, golden apple, pastry and warm spices, with a subtle hint of eucalyptus leaf and a faint exotic nuance, suggestive of the botrytis-influenced growing season. On the palate, it is full-bodied and incisive, revealing a generous core of fruit supported by bracing acidity. The wine concludes with a long, citrus-inflected finish.

Bright golden colour with evolved depth already upon launch. Overt, ripe nose with earthy-spicy characters coming with orange marmalade, apple and oriental spice complexity. To date, the maturing nose contrasts the tight, restrained palate, and it needs time to open up in the glass. The palate comes with a superb acid line, enhancing the length and contributing a beautiful saline mineral quality to the wine. At first there is structural richness to the mouth-feel but it gains a beautifully focused and lean, dry finish due to the extraordinary acidity and low, 4,25g/l dosage. Fresh, nervy and vivacious despite the winey quality. This is a Clos des Goisses to keep (June 2016 disgorgement tasted). The September 2016 disgorgement tasted in November 2016 was even more convincing reassuring me to raise my points to 93. March 2017.