Philipponnat Clos des Goisses: Invest In Exclusive Single-plot-vineyard Champagne

When Burgundy Meets Champagne

Champagne is synonymous with exclusivity and extravagance, but if you want to take it a step further, there is only one way to go - and that is to the region's iconic single-plot-vineyard Champagnes. Single-plot-vineyard Champagne is the result of the meticulous work of top producers to bring the expression of a single-plot-vineyard into the bottle - just as we got used to from the best wines from Burgundy. At the same time, unlike ordinary Champagne, single-plot-vineyard Champagne production is notorious for being extremely limited and thus having another link to its expensive Burgundy sister wines. Krug's Clos du Mesnil and Clos d'Ambonnay, as well as Bollinger's VVF, are some of the trophies in this category, but a little overlooked, Philipponnat Clos des Goisses stands alongside, allowing you to invest in rare single-plot-vineyard Champagne at a very attractive price.

The History Of Philipponnat

Philipponnat is owned by a family of the same name, whose wine history in the region dates back to the 16th-century when the family's work as negotiators and merchants supplied wine to the court of Louis XIV. The company's 18th-century cellars were also part of the historic Château de Mareuil.

Champagne Philipponnat as we know it today was founded in 1910 by Pierre Philipponnat and is now run by Charles Philipponnat. It is a small but highly respected Champagne house, producing only about 650,000 bottles of Champagne a year across the house's entire product portfolio.

The family sold ownership of the estate in 1987 and today it is one of Bruno Paillar's most recognized estates, but the Philipponnat family, and Charles Philipponnat in particular, are still important forces in the estate today.

Champagne Philipponnat today stands for a wealth of different wines but is most famous for its unique single-plot-vineyard Champagne; Clos des Goisses.

Clos des Goisses - A Jewel In Champagne

Clos is the French term for a vineyard or area surrounded by stone walls. In this case, it refers specifically to a 5.5-hectare vineyard called Clos de Goisses, which is the centerpiece of an exclusive single-plot Champagne vineyard. This vineyard is not only one of the oldest in the region, but also one of the steepest, with a slope of up to 45 degrees ensuring optimal exposure to the sun. Here, grapes are handpicked and treated according to all the rules of the art. The wine is stored in deep cellars for 10 years before being disgorged. Then it comes back to the surface: intense and bombastic, but with sublime storage and development potential.

Only about 30,000 bottles of Clos de Goisses are produced per vintage. That in itself is a small production, compared to the million bottles being produced of the big prestige cuvées; but also compared to, for example, Salon, which is well known for its micro-production of about 60,000 regular-size bottles per vintage. At the same time, the 30,000 bottles of Clos des Goisses are also a symbol of the quality consciousness of the Philipponnats. In fact, at Clos des Goisses the regulations allow them to produce almost double the quantity: they decide not to.

Great Potential In The Underestimated 2009 Vintage

As with all other top producers, Philipponnat's 2008 vintage stole the spotlight and the limited quantities of this prestigious vintage were coveted on the wine market, leading to constant sell-outs at the major retailers. But even though the headlines are mainly on the great 2008 vintage and even though the 2010 vintage has also been released, Champagne investors should keep their eyes on the 2009 vintage.

The 2008 and 2009 vintages both received 96+ from Wine Advocate, while the 2010 vintage received 94 points *. At the same time, the 2008 vintage is estimated to cost €165-170 **, based on the small quantities available on wine-searcher.com and RareWine Invests own trade data, while the 2009 vintage costs only €125 **. This means that the 2009 vintage has a strong upside potential compared to the 2008 vintage. However, the 2008 vintage is of course a brand of its own and, as long as it is available, it will be at the forefront of many Champagne lovers' minds. Consequently, we can consider two plausible scenarios that make the 2009 vintage particularly interesting:

Scenario 1: The 2008 vintage may be the attractive choice for many Champagne lovers, leading to increased consumption of the very limited quantities (only 30,000 bottles per vintage). Therefore the 2009 vintage will quickly become the more accessible and price attractive vintage - even with the same great Wine Advocate rating as the 2008 vintage. Something that may lead to increased demand and rising prices for the remaining quantities.

Scenario 2: The 2009 vintage will be a cheaper and more price attractive alternative to the expensive 2008 vintage for many Champagne lovers. This may drive demand up on the already limited quantities. If the price difference between the 2008 vintage and the 2009 vintage is equaled by price increases for the 2009 vintage, the mechanisms in the wine markets will most likely drive up the price of the 2008 vintage, as a 2008 and 2009 should not cost the same. This may then lead to one of these scenarios repeating itself.

* Richard Juhlin has not rated the 2009 Clos des Goisses, but has given 94 points to the 2008 vintage. The 2010 vintage has received 94 points from Wine Advocate.
** Price per. Bottle, without duty, VAT and tax, in whole cases and in perfect condition.

The Single-Plot-Vineyards Are The Crown Jewels Of Champagne

Investing in Champagne has perhaps never been as attractive as it is now, but we are still waiting for some of the new Champagne markets, such as important countries in the East, to take off in earnest. But all indications are that the category is moving in the right direction - just as expected.

Champagne has earned a sensational place in Wine Spectators' Top 100 list 2020. Champagne was the best-performing sub-index at Liv-ex in 2020 and remains free of US punitive tariffs that have otherwise affected most European wines since October 2019. Several media in the industry, including the respected Decanter, report rising production costs in Champagne over the past 15 years, which do not match the price increases. As a result, experts and producers are unanimous in predicting that Champagne prices will rise more in the next 10 years than we have been used to in the past.

At the same time, important Champagne houses and the luxury conglomerates behind them are working to win over, for instance, the Chinese market and sell them this Western luxury more quickly - a trend that is by no means new on these margins. Therefore, investing in Champagne seems to become even more interesting. In addition, if you believe in price increases for the best, most exclusive, and rarest Champagnes, as we have seen before with Burgundy wines, then the great single-plot-vineyard Champagnes become increasingly attractive as they fully represent the above-mentioned potential.

RareWine Invest's Opinion

Whether you are already investing in Champagne, or you want to start doing so, Philipponnat's single-plot-vineyard Champagne is a case to seriously consider investing in.

Clos des Goisses is an extremely limited single-plot-vineyard Champagne producing only 30,000 bottles per year, which speaks in every way to the exciting future of the Champagne category.

These bottles are already rare by nature, and they also deliver great quality and carry some of the same exclusive characteristics that Champagne lovers know from Krug's flagship Champagnes, such as Clos du Mesnil and Clos d'Ambonnay.

Do you also believe that the exclusive and rare Champagnes will become particularly attractive if the demand for Champagne spreads even further, as was the case with Burgundy wines? Then Clos des Goisses is worth considering.

In other words, you now have the opportunity to invest in a single-plot-vineyard Champagne at a lower price compared to the 2008 vintage, which received the same Wine Advocate rating as the 2009 vintage. This offers potential in the short run, but the true potential must be found in the long run, with this underrated single-plot-vineyard Champagne.