Producer: Champagne Philipponnant
Wine: Royale Rèserve Brut
Vintage: NV
Country: France
Appellation: Champagne
Wine Type: Sparkling
Varietal: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and bit of Pinot Meunier
Grade: B+
Designation: Must Drink
Price: $36

Champagne has many similarities to sex. When it’s good, it’s great. When it’s great, it’s an out of the body experience. The two do diverge however when it’s bad. When Champagne is bad, it’s awful. On the other hand, when sex is bad, it can still be pretty good. Philipponnant’s Royale Rèserve is of the first kind, it’s good, which means it’s great. This non-vintage Brut is bright, fruity, and delicate that glissades down the throat as smooth as a bubbly ballerina on ice. Philipponant’s traditional cuvée blends a minimum of twenty-five Champagne crus using reserve wines from several vintages. It’s pale gold in the flute with conga lines of bubbles streaming to the surface creating a vivacious mousse. This is a full-bodied Champagne with red fruit flavors, tangy lime, mineral essences, and doughy bread fresh from the oven. It’s supple, creamy textured, and exudes sophistication and sensuality. So, is it good or great? Well, as any astute French existentialist would say, “It is what it is.”

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