We have news of the presence of the Philipponnat family in Champagne in the Ay area since 1522! This maison, now counted among the most famous and prestigious in France, immediately had the privilege of being one of the official suppliers to the court of King Louis of France XIV, maintaining prominent positions and prestigious collaborations even in the following centuries. Located in Mareuil-sur-Ay, crossroads of the three major areas of Champagne (Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Cote des Blancs) the maison will develop the winemaking style as we know it today with the introduction of new techniques and new discoveries as early as 1800, such as the use of reserve wine with the Solera technique; this allows to give each wine a characteristic imprint capable of being repeated from the first years of production. Today the company owns about 20 hectares of vineyards located in Mareuil and the other municipalities of Ay, all with beautiful southern exposures; their most famous vineyard, the Clos de Goisses, which means “difficult to work” has a slope that reaches up to 45° but allows the vines to have constant exposure to the sun; the champagne that is obtained from this clos, the Clos des Goisses, has become very famous in Italy as it was the favorite of Gianni Agnelli, owner of Fiat. Today it is Charles Philipponnat, the last heir of the family, who is at the helm of this extraordinary company and custodian of this enormous cultural heritage of the region and of France.