One of the highlights of this important Champagne vintage, Philipponnat's 2008 Extra Brut Clos des Goisses is fabulous. Rich, ample and yet also full of the tension that makes the Champagnes of this year so appealing, the 2008 Goisses is crystalline and incredibly pure. Clos des Goisses has a track record of aging brilliantly for decades. Even knowing that, I am surprised by how harmonious the 2008 is at this early stage in its life. Yes, there is plenty of youthful austerity, but at the same time, the 2008 is remarkably poised and has more than enough mid-palate creaminess to play off the bright, salivating acids. Don't miss it! Disgorged: April 2017. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter.

From a cooler, fresher vintage and based on more Chardonnay than usual (55%), with 45% Pinot Noir, the Philipponnat 2008 Clos des Goisses Extra-Brut shows an exciting bouquet of bright fruits, crushed chalk, bread and iodine notes. On the palate, this is an excitingly vibrant, fresh and chalky Clos with lovely citrus and cumquat flavors on the finish. The 2008 is very complex, bright, super clear and fresh, with a tightly woven structure but still great finesse and elegance. This is a fabulous Clos for the next three decades. The dosage is 4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged in April 2017 (?), tasted at the domaine in April 2018. - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate #237, June 2018

Comprising 45% Pinot Noir and 55% Chardonnay and disgorged in March 2018 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, Philipponnat’s 2008 Clos des Goisses marks the last vintage in which this cuvée was Chardonnay-dominant. With approximately 75% of the wine vinified in oak, it opens in the glass with an aromatic profile of crisp pear, brioche and baking spices, interwoven with hints of spring flowers and stone fruit. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied and tightly wound, with a mid-palate defined by electric acidity and a taut, tensile core, concluding with a long lemon-inflected finish. With its chiseled and incisive character, it presents a striking stylistic counterpoint to the more voluptuous 2009. Despite its pronounced, bracing acidity, the fruit has held up very well, maintaining harmony. This remains a profoundly youthful Champagne; those seeking immediate charm and generosity would be better served by opening the 2009 instead.

The south-facing slopes of the Clos des Goisses have worked their magic once again to produce this top-quality, opulent wine in the 2008 vintage with aromas of lush baked apples and flaky pastry, with an undercurrent of spice and mineral. The texture is rich, almost unctuous, with a creamy feel and impressive length. The blend is 45% Pinot Noir and 55% Chardonnay, aged eleven years on the lees and disgorged with an extra-brut dosage of 4.5g/L. Although it is drinking well now, this has the substance to age another fifty years—superb!

See score and full tasting note at champagneclub.com.