Clos des Goisses and 1976 perfection

A Clos des Goisses tasting dinner with Charles Philipponnat of the family-owned Champagne Philipponnat, hosted by Bordeaux Index at the champagne-minded Michelin-starred Texture restaurant in London, marked a significant milestone in my wine life: the first time I have ever scored a wine 20 out of 20. Leaving aside philosophical discussions of perfection (for which see Alex's The problem of perfection), I cannot begin to tell you how much pleasure it gave me.

The Clos des Goisses, owned by the Philipponnat family for almost a century, is a 5.5-ha walled vineyard in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ on a 45º...