Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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Bought directly from Bollinger through their UK agent Mentzendorff, the bottles are stored in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, in ideal conditions at a constant 13°C. For same-day deliveries, small quantities are kept in our office cellar, where the temperature is maintained between 11–13°C. We source all our bottles directly from the Maison or their official UK office, eliminating the risk of poor storage. This is crucial, as champagne quality is highly sensitive to heat: temperatures above 18°C accelerate maturity significantly, which compromises quality.
Champagne Bollinger owns an impressive 178 hectares of vineyards, of which 85% are in Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. Their land is spread over seven main villages: Aÿ, Avenay, Louvois, Tauxières and Verzenay planted with Pinot Noir; Cuis with Chardonnay; and Champvoisy with Meunier. Bollinger are one of the few Houses to produce the majority of their own grapes for their blends. Pinot Noir represents 60% of the House's vineyards and defines the House style: complex and powerful with remarkable structure. In 2012 Champagne Bollinger was certified High Environment Value (HEV) this certification rewards a number of environmental procedures implemented at the Maison.
In 1976, Bollinger Vintage was re-named Grande Année. Then in 1997, it became La Grande Année - 'The Great Year' - a name simple enough to illustrate its exceptional status, because only truly extraordinary years become vintage at Bollinger. This vintage is entirely fermented in oak barrel and is produced from thirteen crus: 95% Grand Cru and 5% Premier Cru.
Weather: In general, 2005 was warm and dry. After a winter which was hard but mostly dry, spring was characterised as being very mild with a few warm periods. After a period of concentrated rainfall towards the end of June and beginning of July, the rest of July was dominated by hot weather, and August by cool weather.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 95% Grand Cru, 5% Premier Cru | Pinot Noir: Aÿ, Verzenay | Chardonnay: Avize, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Grape Varieties: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay
Ageing: 8 years on the lees
Disgorged: October 2014
Dosage: 6 g/l
Drink: Now to 2028
Tasting Note: On the nose, initial honey and gingerbread aromas shine through whilst the palate offers ripe fruit flavours with hints of vanilla. This creamy flavour and subtle acidity combine to leave a long finish - this is a complex champagne and one of the best expressions of the 2005 vintage.
Champagne Bollinger have been creating prestigious champagnes with character, distinguished by their elegance and complexity, since 1829. The story began when the son of a noble family, Athanase de Villermont, inherited an extensive estate in the Aÿ region. Foreseeing the extraordinary potential of the wines of Champagne, he founded the firm Renaudin-Bollinger & Cie upon meeting Joseph Bollinger, a widely travelled German and Paul Renaudin, a local man fascinated by the world of wine. Nearly two hundred years later, Bollinger are one of the biggest names in the region and are famously the preferred champagne brand of fictional British Secret Service agent, James Bond.
The House owns an impressive 178 hectares of vineyards, of which 85% are Grand Cru and Premier Cru vines. Their land is spread over seven main vineyards: Aÿ, Avenay, Louvois, Tauxières and Verzenay planted with Pinot Noir; Cuis with Chardonnay; and Champvoisy with Meunier. Bollinger are one of the few Houses to produce the majority of their own grapes for their blends. Pinot Noir represents 60% of the House's vineyards and defines the House style: complex and powerful with remarkable structure. In 2012 it was certified HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE (HEV) this certification rewards a number of environmental procedures implemented at the Champagne Bollinger vineyard, such as the large-scale reduction in the use of vine protection products, the implementation of organic pesticide treatments across the entire vineyard, energy recovery from pruning waste, the application of experimental organic farming on a section of the vineyard, and the numerous other actions carried out to protect biodiversity and embellish the vineyard.
Cellar Master: Denis Bunner
Winery Location: Aÿ | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Vallée de la Marne
Annual Production (bottles): 2,500,000
Chef de Cave History at Champagne Bollinger:
Denis Bunner 2023 - Current | Joined Bollinger as Deputy Chef de Cave in 2013 and became the 7th Chef de Cave in 2023. He joined 6th September 2013 and the harvest started end of September. He was involved in quality control, first grape purchasing, where he implemented new techniques to control the must’s quality at the laboratory. Very quickly it gave the Maison a quick global overview of the harvest’s quality and ability to control it more efficiently. In 2014 he oversaw the jetting process, used in Special Cuvee and case by case with the vintage cuvee. Before Bollinger Denis worked at the CIVC Oenology department, where for ten years he was involved with research and a member of the Laboratory of Tasting and Sensory Analysis, this tasting has mapped out his journey.
Gilles Descôtes 2013 - 2023 | In 2003 Gilles joined Champagne Bollinger holding a string of key positions; Deputy Director of Production, Director of Vineyards and Procurement and Technical Director. During his tenure as Director of Vineyards he lead the way for more sustainable farming in the vineyards, a key achievement for the HEV certification awarded to the Maison in 2012. Long before he was chef de cave, he was part of the tasting committee so in 2013 he was a natural successor to the outgoing chef de cave in 2013. He wasted no time in recruiting his deputy, Denis Bunner joined him in September 2013 from the CIVC. Gilles Descôtes pays the greatest attention to the grape, a raw material whose excellence is essential for the production of an exceptional champagne and his philosophy can be summed up "respect for the grape, to achieve the purity of the wines." He held the position for over 10 years, guiding the House's style, protecting traditions and sprinkling a little gold dust here and there! He was part of the team for example who in 2008 introduced nitrogen to the racking process protecting the wines from oxygen. Gilles grew up in Oger in the Côtes des Blancs and spent his childhood in Champagne. He went to primary school in Oger, high school in Épernay, before continuing his studies in Reims, Paris and Montpellier. A very warm and gentle soul who was incredibly generous with sharing information. After a short illness he died in January 2023, a major loss to the house and Champagne world.
Mathieu Kauffmann 2004 - 2013 | In February 2001 he joined the winemaking team at Bollinger working alongside Gérard Liot and became chef de cave in 2004. During his time at Champagne Bollinger he was an integral part to the Maison achieving its HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE (HEV) certification, awarding key environmental achievements across the winemaking and vineyard operations. He also believed "the wood allows the must to breathe" as a result all vintage cuvee became 100% fermented in oak. Mathieu also oversaw the construction of the Mareuil-sur-Ay pressing center and the expansion of the cellars in Ay. Kauffmann started his sparkling wine career in 1992 in his native Alsace where he headed up the Crémant production of the Cave d’Eguisheim.
Gérard Liot 1989 - 2004 | A local champenoise who joined Champagne Bollinger in 1969 and twenty years later was promoted to chef de cave.
Expert Reviews
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Disgorged January 2016. Magnum. Tasted blind. Very rich nose. Then slight fade on the end. Very well-balanced wine. Some sweetness on the end. 12% Drink 2016-2025”
17/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Already quite deep gold. Beefy and substantial with both breadth and depth but also great refreshment value. Real Bollinger character.”
91/100
Essi Avellan MW
“Medium-deep peach-hued colour. Strong, charred, characterful nose with a notable oxidative tone and explosive super-ripe fruitiness. Full and viscous, oily, concentrated palate. Massive and winey.”
94/100
Andrew Jefford
“Pale old-gold in colour, and searching, winey scents with an amplitude which recalls mature burgundy (the apple orchard, sweet hay and soft hazels). Structured, broad and full on the palate, with ripe acidity recalling many fruits, even red ones. There have probably been Grande Années with more nerve and sinew than this, but its breadth, complexity and texture are hugely satisfying and that ‘winey’ appeal surely owes much to 100 per cent old-wood fermentation. ”
94/100
Alison Napjus
“A powerful, structured and graceful 2005, showing deft integration of the rich, chalky underpinning, firm acidity and expansive flavours of crushed back currant, spring blossom, toasted almond, crystallized honey and preserved lemon. Offers a fine, raw silk-like mousse and a long, spiced finish. Disgorged February 2015. Drink now through 2030.”
94/100
James Suckling
“The 2005 is an impressively fresh Champagne that has an array of grilled nuts, nougat and chalky minerals ahead of red apple, lemon and grapefruit pith, red fruits and attractive red floral perfume. The palate's supple, smoothly cut, and has a wealth of concentrated dark and red berry fruit flavor that really speaks of pinot noir. This has warmth and richness; really bold and smooth with some spice to close too. The palate has a lot of power, weight and length. Will evolve to deliver brulée, toffee and mocha. Drink now or hold for five years.”
90/100
Antonio Galloni
“Bollinger's 2005 La Grande Année is an attractive Champagne to drink now and over the next handful of years, as it is already quite forward. Burnished, slightly oxidative classic Bollinger notes meld into scents of honey, apricot jam, smoke, sage, mint and wild flowers. Open-knit and expressive, the 2005 has plenty to offer today, while it appears destined for near and medium-term drinking. Although a solid wine, the 2005 is a far cry from some of the other stronger recent editions.”
18.5+/20
Matthew Jukes
“The bouquet is exuberantly floral, the bubbles are minuscule and it is ever so slightly pink-tinged. There is classic Bollinger richness here, but it is coupled with restraint. The fruit is very ripe and it is counterbalanced with less dosage than normal – 6 g/L (as opposed to the usual level of 9/10). More detail emerges as the wine opens – spice, bark and candied orange peel notes on the finish offset the creamy, honeyed, brioche notes on the palate. There is a very definite link between this wine and the 2005 Vieilles Vignes Françaises (also reviewed on matthewjukes.com) in terms of its power and dimensions. In 2005 Bollinger went back to the ‘pillar’ of the company, Pinot Noir, with 70% of this grape used (2002 RD used only 60%). The number of Crus used in this vintage is smaller than normal, too. Normally, in LGA, Bollinger uses 20 Crus, however in 2005 they only used 13, principally in their heartland of Aÿ and Verzenay. This is because of the large size of the bunches and the rainfall in September – rot was a danger. Many other Houses suffered a lot but Bollinger’s vineyards are grassed in between the rows and this helped enormously. They also stopped using fertiliser in 2005 which resulted in a superior crop. This is definitely a more forward vintage than expected at the beginning of its life but will also keep beautifully. You could drink it now, but I expect that its peak will be 2 years and it will last until 2030.”
17/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Disgorged Oct 2014. Very subtle, complete nose. Hedgerows and lift. Substantial wine that is not as tight-knit as some but is certainly attention grabbing.”
An exceptional evening in the village of Aÿ as Champagne Bollinger unveiled La Grande Année 2018, marking the first chapter in its journey towards its bicentenary in 2029.
To mark the release of the movie No Time To Die, the 25th instalment of the James Bond series, the House created a limited edition wine dedicated to 007, with a 2011 vintage inspired by the world of Bond.
Ever wondered what makes a good vintage and which years were the best in Champagne? This is the Champagne Vintage Guide, their overall ratings according to Essi Avellan MW and the best releases of the Vintage year.
Today on The Friday Bubble Essi Avellan and Nick Baker discuss Bollinger's latest release La Grande Année Rose 2014 & comparing to the previously released LGA 2014.
Today on The Friday Bubble, Essi Avellan MW and Nick Baker, Founder of The Finest Bubble introduce Champagne Bollinger’s new release, the 3rd interpretation of the PN series, TX17.
Today sees the next edition in this new line-up. PN VZ16 is the second interpretation in a new series that will be released every year, always with a focus on one of Bollinger’s Pinot Noir crus.
In celebration of over 40 years of partnership as the Official Champagne of 007 and the upcoming film No Time To Die, Champagne Bollinger has produced a limited edition gift box that brings together three icons: Bollinger’s signature Special Cuvée, the Aston Martin DB5 and James Bond.
How Bollinger’s new PN VZ 15 is a glorious deep-dive into terroir - Written by Anne Krebiehl MW for The-Buyer.Net
The new Bollinger PN VZ 15 releases on 21st July 2020
During a visit to the house of Bollinger in Aÿ last year, we explored champagnes from some of the region's hottest ever vintages, dating as far back as 1947. We also held a mini-vertical of Special Cuvée base vintages, tasted a trio of R.D.s and had a look at the new Coteaux Champenois.
Shortly after the 2018 harvest, Bollinger Chef de Cave Gilles Descôtes declared that "2017 was the worst harvest of my life and 2018 is the best". We visited the house in Aÿ to taste the base wines and also tasted some of the rarer grape varieties, such as Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris.
On Wednesday 6th March 2019, we’ll be going LIVE on Instagram TV with Bollinger winemaker Karl Reuter, who'll be guiding us through a tasting of six Bollinger champagnes and answering questions put to him by the live audience.
Although Chef de Cave Gilles Descôtes described 2017 as "the worst since 1893", Bollinger continued to innovate. We tasted the results of some exciting trials they are conducting with the rarer grape varieties Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris.
It's not often that we taste Champagne that belongs in a museum. Our visit to Bollinger with Jancis Robinson MW included a tour of the newly renovated cellars and a tasting of Champagne produced during WWI.
The difficult 2016 vintage appears to have been kind to Champagne Bollinger. We tasted the Vins Clairs at the winery in Aÿ last month and the house are optimsitic - even drawing likeness to the magnificent 1988 vintage! We judged for ourselves...
