Philipponnat goes dry

Champagne Philipponnat is the latest fizz producer to go ultra-dry with the release of a non-dosage cuvée.

The champagne, which is not topped up with the traditional sugar dosage before bottling, shows "the best expression of original fruit and natural minerality", according to Philipponnat.
The producer has been progressively lowering its dosage across the portfolio, in line with the general market trend. Its core Brut NV is down to 8g/l - 40% lower than the average.
Producers including Domaine Chandon in Yarra Valley, Australia, has come out with Green Point ZD (zero dosage) and Louis Roederer has been working on a non-dosage cuvée which it hopes to release next year, Harpers can reveal.

The basics: £28.50, Les Caves de Pyrene.

• Sommeliers