Champagne Bollinger La Grande Annee 2015

Additional information

Origin	Champagne, France
Main grapes	Pinot Noir
Other grapes	Chardonnay
Vintage	2014
Bottle sizes	75cl

Description

Champagne Bollinger La Grande Annee is a vintage Champagne only produced in exceptional years and it is considered to be Bollinger’s prestige Champagne. The wine is exclusively vinified in small aged oak barrels, and is cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appellation.

Champagne Bollinger can trace its origins back to 1829 when Jacques Bollinger established the company. It remains, to this day, one of the few independently, family-owned Champagne houses. Like most Champagne houses Bollinger uses grapes from their own vineyards and also buys fruit in from growers. Bollinger owns some 164 hectares of vineyards in the best Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites, the majority of which is Pinot Noir, therefore most of Bollinger’s Champagnes have a higher proportion of Pinot Noir than most other Champagnes. The grapes for Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année are sourced from only Premier and Grand Cru rated vineyards.

Champagne Bollinger La Grande Annee 2015 is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% from 11 different crus: mainly Aÿ and Verzenay and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ for the Pinot Noir and Chouilly and Avize for the Chardonnay. The first fermentation takes place entirely in old oak barrels. Only the “cuvée” juice (i.e. juice from the first pressing of the grapes) is used for making La Grande Année and the entire primary fermentation takes place in old oak barrels, an uncommon practice in Champagne. The wine is aged on its lees for a minimum of 5 years and, after manual riddling and disgorging, the wine rests for a minimum of 3 months prior to release. Dosage is moderate for the 2015 at 8 g/L. Winemaker is Denis Bunner.

.Champagne Bollinger has a long association with James Bond and La Grande Année features in the Daniel Craig film Casino Royale.

Tasting Notes

From Bollinger:

Yellow gold reflections, are evidence of the wine’s maturity, but also of Bollinger’s
vinification methods.

Initial scents are full of small stone fruits, with notes of Pomme Gris, plum and Mirabelle plum, layered with a touch of honey. Aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, and raspberry follow; a medley of red fruits dances with notes of almond. Exotic touches of mango follow, dissolving into tertiary scents of vanilla and a delicate woody aroma.

On the palate the wine is plump, generous and enticing, reminiscent of Mirabelle plum jam. Texture and richness define the tasting experience. The finish blends notes of chocolate and citrus fruits, bringing a touch of acidity, lengthened further by hints of schist. A hugely generous wine!

Food Pairing

La Grande Année’s creamy effervescence is the perfect complement to meat dishes, mushrooms, nuts, and red berries, as well as complex flavours such as citrus peel.