“A lovely note of fresh Viennoiserie is as fragrant of butter as it is of lemon. Beneath that is a fresher, cooler note of green apple and wet chalk. The palate picks up that rich pastry note and adds lively lemon zest and a sense of creaminess. This is elegant, concentrated and vivid with very fine mousse. Lovely depth adds extra dimension and gives much length to the fresh, bright finish.”

“This Amazone de Palmer is a blend of 2012, 2010 and 2009, with an 18% addition from the house's perpetual reserve. The developing lemon colour speaks of the age. The nose also shows development in the form of soft, vanilla-laden fruitiness, opulent toastiness and spicy whiffs. There is also the lightest hint of oxidative development. Soft and cushiony on the palate, it is silky and concentrated, with the bubbles tiny and perfectly integrated with the wine's sumptuous richness. Long, lingering, juicy-fresh finish. A ready-to-drink prestige cuvée. Dosage 6g/l”

“The NV Brut (Gold) opens with lovely matured brioche, toast and ripe fruit flavors. Fresh, pure and elegant on the palate, with beautifully matured flavors and an elegant creaminess I don't find in the other cuvées, the "Gold" is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier as well as the vintages of 2009, 2010 and 2012. The wine reveals good grip and mineral tension and drinks well as an aperitif or with seafood and fish.”

“The 2020 Blanc de Noirs Mailly-Champagne Grand Cru, disgorged in July 2025 with a dosage of three grams per liter, is another success, bursting from the glass with aromas of blood orange, red apple and freshly baked bread mingled with nuances of iodine. Medium- to full-bodied, racy and precise, it is built around an ample core of fruit enlivened by structuring chalky extract and bright acidity, concluding with a long, saline finish. Incisive and energetic, it presents an entirely different stylistic profile from the richer Ambonnay bottling and emerges as the strongest wine in this year’s range”

“Originating from northeast- and northwest-facing sites harvested between September 4 and 5, the 2018 Le Cran Ludes Premier Cru is showing beautifully, opening with aromas of pear, peach and red apple mingled with nuances of blood orange. Medium- to full-bodied, intense and chalky, it is underpinned by ripe yet racy acidity and concludes with a long, saline finish. Disgorged in July 2025, it is a considerable success despite the vintage's abundant yields, even if it represents a slightly softer and more open-knit rendition of Le Cran. It will offer a broad drinking window.”

“ This new wine was made to ‘capture the essence of Billecart-Salmon', according to seventh generation owner Mathieu Roland-Billecart. From 92% Pinot Noir, 4% Chardonnay and 4% Pinot Meunier, this is a blend of eight grands crus from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, including the 1ha Pinot Noir vineyard of Le Clos St-Hilaire in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Exceptional reserve wines from 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2012 were vinified half in steel and half in old oak casks, with a dosage of 4.5g/l, making it an extra brut style. It has a hugely expressive nose of red apple, nougat and citrus, with the hallmark ‘old rose’ fragrance from Clos St-Hilaire. There's an elegant mousse with very fine, fast-streaming bubbles and powerful, juicy flavours of baking spices, praline, and tart apples. A smoky mineral note and bright acidity offer real refreshment through the long finish, and while drinking beautifully now, it has the structure to last and will improve with age. To mark the year of the house’s founding, just 1,818 magnums were made, along with 18 Jeroboams. Drinking Window 2018-2035.”

“Based on the 2015 vintage and dominated this year by Mesnil sur Oger, Billecart's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru was disgorged in July 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage. Exhibiting aromas of citrus oil, tart stone fruit, freshly baked bread and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and layered, its sweet core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky structure.”

“A delicate, fruity blanc de blancs with a straightforward floral-lemony-mineral character and stylish toasty edge. A classic mix from the celebrated Grand Cru villages of Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Le Mesnil aged on the lees for five years with 35 percent reserve wines bringing even further richness. Beautifully creamy, energetic mousse and a fresh, long, fruity length.”

“Light and zesty with tobacco notes. Fresh and lively. Again, a slightly fast fade.”

“There's a pure white fruitiness to the coolly reserved nose here: lemon, yellow apple and cream. Still, the most impressive feature is the fine toastiness and mineral notion present on both nose and palate. There is a really stylish lightness to the wine, despite a great fruit intensity. It feels focused, packed with fruit, and blessed with pristine fruit quality; this is no surprise, since the grapes originate from four grands crus of the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Cramant, Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Disgorged 7/21; dosage 8g/l”

“An exceptionally elegant, silky and surprisingly delicate champagne. I was expecting power, but this is like a mouthful of shimmering ribbons. An unusual floral fragrance, like the elusive scent of lily of the valley in an early-morning garden. Rich citrus woven into baked pear, tingling with green-apple sherbet. The bubbles float over the wine like cashmere lace. Tremendous purity. And the wine develops in the glass in a way I was not expecting, becoming richer, more dense, beginning to taste of violets and fresh-churned pink clay, of bread-yeast starters and sleepy pools of candlelight. A poet's champagne.”

“The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is showing beautifully today, with aromas of confit citrus, pear, herbs, orchard fruits, pastry and brioche. Medium to full-bodied, it is round and supple with the delicate, bright tension that is the signature of Billecart-Salmon. Perfectly balanced and offering a vinous, toasty and elegantly long finish, it's based on the 2017 vintage with 23% from 2016. Vinified and matured in stainless steel, it spent five years on the lees in bottle before being disgorged with a dosage of 1.7 grams per liter.”

“Disgorged in June 2024 with a dosage of 3.9 grams per liter and based on the 2018 vintage, supplemented by 37% reserve wines from 2017, 2016 and 2015, Billecart’s NV Le Blanc de Blancs offers up aromas of pear, lemon confit and freshly baked bread mingled with dried flowers. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied and fleshy yet vibrant, with a muscular core of fruit and racy acidity framed by chalky extract. It is brighter than one might anticipate for the vintage, though undeniably of lesser concentration than the 2019 rendition. As ever, it is vinified in stainless steel and, for this bottling, is anchored in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, complemented by wines from Chouilly, Cramant and Avize.”

“The 2013 Brut Blancs de Blancs Louis Salmon is a powerful, dense Champagne that captures all the intensity of this late-ripening year. Apricot, peach, tangerine oil, mint and tropical inflections fill out the layers. Dense and very young, the 2013 is built for the cellar. It’s a seriously impressive wine from Billecart-Salmon. The blend is 44% Cramant, 26% Chouilly, 25% Le Mesnil and 5% Oiry, done entirely in tank with full malolactic fermentation. ”

“The reference point of Billecart-Salmon’s contemporary direction, the 2013 Blanc de Blancs Louis Salmon, disgorged in January 2024 with four grams per liter dosage, stands as the most characterful wine of the new lineup, expressing itself from the glass with aromas of early-blooming white flowers, lemon oil, nashi pear and almond paste mingled with cardamom, oyster shell and freshly baked bread. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied and elegantly muscular, with a tensile core of crystalline purity, racy acids and ample chalky extract. Harvested in October, it derives from the communes of Cramant, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry and was vinified entirely in stainless steel with full malolactic fermentation in pursuit of greater harmony in a cool-profile vintage such as this. It is slightly more elegant and simultaneously less powerful than the 2012 rendition, yet it remains equally compelling. Stylistically, it shares certain affinities with the 2008 and 1996 vintages, albeit with more fully realized ripeness.”

“Originating from a mid-September harvest following a mildew-pressured season that resulted in comparatively low yields, the 2012 Blanc de Blancs Louis Salmon has produced a flamboyant wine that blossoms in the glass with aromas of lemon confit, nashi pear, quince and peach mingled with almond paste and freshly baked bread. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and profound, with ripe yet racy acidity and a layered core of fruit. Its textural attack segues into a resonant, pungently chalky mid-palate, concluding with a long, saline finish tinged with grapefruit. It is slightly more powerful than the 2013 rendition, exhibiting a subtle phenolic nuance; yet, it likewise reflects Billecart’s contemporary stylistic direction. Disgorged in January 2023 with a dosage of 3.9 grams per liter, only a quarter of the base wines were matured in barrel, while approximately 90% underwent malolactic fermentation. The blend is anchored in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, complemented by wines from Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry.”

“The 2012 Brut Blancs de Blancs Louis Salmon is a gorgeous Champagne. Lemon confit, spice, baked apple tart, chamomile and dried flowers are all nicely amplified. The 2012 was done 75% in tank and 25% in oak, with most of the lots undergoing malolactic fermentation. There's a feeling of reserve in the 2012 that is quite appealing. This edition is terrific, but it also needs time to be at its best. I would be in no rush to open this. Low yields and a year beset by frost, hail, heavy rain, mildew and sunburn at various times produced a rich Champagne. The blend of sites in Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Cramant and Oiry works so well. Dosage is 3.9 grams per liter. Disgorged: first trimester 2023.”

“Cuvee Louis 2012 Blanc de Blancs all grapes from Grand Cru rated villages with partial oak barrel fermentation. An impressive aromatic, that rich lemony sherbet on entry, overlays a layer of buttery shortbread that has been lightly toasted. This has the 2012 forward fruit charm, unctuous fruit, though restrained with hints of tropical guava. Its texture is a delight, wrapping round the palate, bright lemon, grapefruit, charred pineapple, it has richness on the palate, minerality and chalky charm. This is the best balance young Louis I have tasted.”

“A 100% Chardonnay, sourced from vines planted in the communes of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Cramant, and Oiry, the 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Louis Salmon evokes aromas of lemon oil, pastry, baked bread, walnuts and chalk. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's vinous, almost creamy, with a layered, delicate structure that leads to a delicately citrusy, long and delicate finish. This Champagne is built to age, thanks to the power of the 2012 vintage and the house's signature tension. Disgorged in the second quarter of 2023 with 3.9 grams per liter dosage, it was matured 75% in stainless steel and 25% in barrels.”

“This is certainly not austere but there's not much sign of the richness of the vintage either. This is still extraordinarily taut for a 14-year-old wine. Dense and set for the long term. Very tightly wound – so don't serve this too cold. It deserves to unwind a bit and show its nuance and lacy delicacy – it should to be left to open out in the glass. Admirably persistent.”

“This is showing an array of almonds, frangipani, dried lemons, apricots, pastries and white chocolate, evolving to salted caramel. Fantastic complexity and all in balance, with firm focus yet open and delicious. Creamy, very fine bubbles. Salty, turning chalky and mineral at the end. Drink or hold.”

“Disgorged in January 2024 with a dosage of 4.4 grams per liter, the 2013 Rosé Elisabeth Salmon emerges from this cool, late-ripening vintage as a rather giving, generous rendition. It unfurls in the glass with aromas of dried apricot, dark cherry and grapefruit mingled with a subtle hint of mocha. On the palate, it is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, offering a sweetly fruited core underpinned by tangy acidity, culminating in a precise, perfumed finish. This is a fleshy, though somewhat old-fashioned Champagne that, at present, does not quite attain the depth of Louis Salmon of the same vintage; however, it would not be surprising to see it improve considerably with additional time on cork following disgorgement. It is composed of an almost equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and was vinified almost entirely in stainless steel, with full malolactic fermentation.”

“Disgorged in January 2023 with dosage of 3.8 grams per liter, Billecart’s 2012 Rosé Elisabeth Salmon is a dramatic, extroverted wine, soaring from the glass with a bouquet of raspberry, cherry and pink grapefruit mingled with spices and red blossoms. These aromatics usher in a medium- to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that is animated by succulent yet vibrant acidity and a sweet-toned core of fruit. The wine concludes with an enveloping, perfumed finish that lingers with considerable persistence. It currently exhibits less depth than the Louis Salmon of the same vintage, leading me to place greater confidence in the latter.”

“A blend of 45% Pinot Noir and 55% Chardonnay, the 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is a real success, wafting from the glass with aromas of red berries, rose, peony, orange blood and dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and broad, it's dense and deep with a multidimensional core of fruit, racy acids and a textural structure, concluding with a long, delicate, mouthwatering finish. This is one of the finest rosé I've tasted at this address. Kudos!”

“The 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elizabeth Salmon offers up hints of red berry fruit, ginger, spice, rosewater, mint and crushed flowers. There is a feeling of classic austerity that runs through the 2012. I would prefer to cellar this for at least a few years, as it is quite reticent at this stage. Chalk, mint, white pepper and bright saline accents linger on the pointed finish. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: first trimester 2023.”

“Elisabeth Rose 2012 was effortless, juicy red fruit, so alluring, richness, concentration, delightful elegance. This is really special champagne, there is real density of fruit with that ultra-light floaty feel on the palate. Long length of flavour and will benefit at least five years more post disgorgement time.”

“Consistently great quality with harmonious flavours and some vinosity throughout the flight. The 2012 vintage has a bright salmon pink colour and depth of flavour, including floral, clementine, wild strawberry and white peach notes. It also has cinnamon cookies and vanilla touch. The creamy mouthfeel satisfies the palate, leading to a lingering finish with a touch of lemon zest. Still youthful, and expected to age longer.”

“A wonderfully open nose immediately presents ripe red currant framed by notions as various as fresh gingerbread, iron oxide, berry sherbet, orange peel, candied tangerine and caramel: richness and freshness united. The palate is smooth with fine, vivid effervescence that propels the wine’s inherent freshness continually to the surface, both countering and complementing a certain roundness, a certain gourmandise that shimmers with red fruit, ripe, aromatic citrus and stony spice. A most gastronomic Champagne that will evolve beautifully.”

“Copper-orange color with aromas of grapefruit pith, cherry stones, dried roses, white pepper, pastries, walnuts and oyster shells. Refined and elegant with pretty, dried red and citrus fruit, layered with subtle spice and toast. Fine bubbles. Dry. 55% pinot noir from Mareuil-sur-Ay and Ay, and 45% Grand Cru chardonnay from Cote des Blancs, with 10% of pinot noir red wine. Dosage 7g/L. Disgorged in July 2021. Drink or hold.”

“Very pale glowing salmon-orange colour. Rich, complex, burnished copper (somehow) nose. Very luscious and seductive. Strawberry flavours but not sweet and simple at all. Creamy-smooth texture but with quite enough acidity – even in this ripe vintage – to keep this wine appetising and intriguing on the finish. Great stuff! A wine to send you to the table…
Drink 2021–2028”

“An elegant rosé Champagne that seamlessly knits juicy acidity and fine-grained texture with a subtle, smoke-laced underpinning and a delicate mesh of wild strawberry, kirsch, mandarin orange peel and toasted brioche flavors. Harmonious, with an open-knit, spiced finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged July 2021. Drink now through 2029.”

“Medium pink salmon colour. Alluring nose of sakura cherry blossom, redcurrant, blood orange and strawberry am with gingerbread and anise. The combination of vinous textures and fine mousse is pleasing on the palate. Concentrated and fleshy fruits continue towards the finish with candied-orange naunces.”

“Deep salmon pink colour, with onion-skin hues that speak of evolution. The truly complex nose combines primary fruit of cherry, strawberry, tangerine and apricot. But there is much more to it than mere fruit, with spicy liquorice tones and spirity Cointreau whiffs adding further complexity. Billecart has, for the first time, used some oak barrels (17%) in the crafting of this cuvée. The palate brings on a much tighter, more reserved side of the wine. High in acidity but not overly so; the silkiness charms, and the soft tannic bite brings a further element of freshness and firmness. Youthful still, and built to last, this is a truly fine Elisabeth Salmon.”

“Disgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is one of the finest wines I've tasted from Billecart in recent years. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, mandarin oil, warm bread, red berries and petals, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with lovely mid-palate amplitude, terrific concentration and bright girdling acids. In what is quite a tightly wound vintage and from a house whose style is rather understated, this is a dramatic, fleshy wine that concludes with a long, flavorful finish.”

“The 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon explodes from the glass with a mesmerizing array of aromas, flavors and textures. Blood orange, cinnamon, mint and dried flowers. The 2008 is incredibly young, but it is also incredibly tempting. Patience will be rewarded. In the meantime, readers might enjoy adding a few bottles of the stellar 2007 to their cellars, as the nervy, taut 2008 needs time”

“Orangey bronze colour. Very luscious, strawberry fruit nose is really rather captivating! Then quite tight and refreshing enough on the palate to suggest there is no great hurry to drink this. Seriously long, throat-consoling finish. Well-judged mousse.”

“This deep salmon pink wine is a study in subtlety. It is gently fragrant and takes time to open up. At first, the nose is rather creamy, even lactic, but then, slowly, redcurrant and blood orange appear with an aromatic overtone of potentilla. The palate, with very fine mousse, exquisite texture and balance, then veers into a most Pinot-esque direction that reveals truffle and a dimension of earthiness and undergrowth. It shimmers with white pepper and has a touch of toasted hazelnut on the bright finish. A real treat.”

“Surprisingly still youthful, with fresh strawberry, cranberry and pomegranate. Delicate pure fruits are balanced by crisp and sharp acidity. Flavours such as toast, marzipan and vanilla custard add another dimension to the wine. A seamless and silky mouthfeel leads to a flinty, elegant finish. Promising for futher ageing.”

“Based on the 2020 vintage (the youngest vintage serves as the “base” of a bottling, even if it does not represent the majority of the blend) and incorporating 71% reserve wines—half stored as individual vintages and the other half as a perpetual reserve initiated in 2006—Billecart-Salmon’s latest NV Le Réserve is showing nicely. It offers aromas of green pear, honeysuckle, brioche and white peach. Disgorged in early 2024 with a dosage of three grams per liter, this reimagined cuvée has recently undergone a significant reduction in dosage. The sweetness that so often presents itself on the finish of NV Champagnes from Grandes Marques is no more. Medium to full-bodied, lively and charming, with a textural attack and vibrant acidity, it culminates in a long, precise finish. This reinvented cuvée replaces the Brut Réserve and, beyond the lowered dosage, sees a stricter fruit selection, an additional 20 months of aging sur lattes (now totaling 50 months) and an increased proportion of the perpetual reserve.”

“Fragrantly floral Meunier fruit comes across strongly on the bright, expressive nose here. There's a complex melange of red and white fruit, with attractive toastiness and sweet pastry tones. A similar sense of skilful crafting continues on the lightweight palate, which is harmonious and perfectly fresh. The vast 50-60% of reserve wines increase the complexity of the blend. This is smooth-textured, with an appetising sweetness at the finish. Dosage 8g/l”

“Based on the 2020 vintage, this blend of 43% Pinot Meunier, 29% Chardonnay and 28% Pinot Noir, with 71% vins de réserve and 10% perpetual reserve, the NV Brut Réserve offers up aromas of spring flowers, herbs, blossoms, lime and brioche. Medium to full-bodied, tense and precise, with a crystalline texture enhanced by bright acids, this is a long, delicate and ethereal Champagne. It matured 8% in barrels and 36 months on the lees in bottle, followed by six months after disgorgement with three grams per liter dosage.”

“Based on the 2015 vintage and disgorged with nine grams per liter dosage, the latest release of Billecart's NV Brut Réserve contains fully 55% reserve wines and is showing very well, offering up complex aromas of warm bread, crisp green orchard fruit and citrus oil. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied and charming but lively, with an elegantly textural attack, a fleshy core of fruit and lively balancing acids.”

“There is a QR code but it doesn’t tell people how old the cuvée is. ‘I don’t have the marketing resources to do this’, says Mathieu Billecart. They update it once a year – ‘though we’re not as precise as Krug’. 55% reserve wines. 40% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay. For the last five years there has been a little bit of oak fermentation for 3 to 5% of the wine. The base is 2014, 2013 and 2012 and some solera. Dosage 9 g/l.
Nicely melded nose even if the whole impression is on the fruity side. Tight and fresh. But with very frank fruit aromas. Slightly drying on the end but brisk and fresh, even if dominantly fruity.”

“(40% pinot meunier, 30% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay; L200352): Light, bright gold. Fresh red berries, orange zest and white flowers on the perfumed nose. Juicy and precise, offering energetic redcurrant and blood orange flavors that show good concentration and a supple texture. A mineral nuance adds bite to the finish, with the floral note echoing.”

“Based on the 2018 vintage, Billecart's new NV Brut Rosé incorporates 40% reserve wines and some 6% still red wine. Bursting with scents of sweet red berries, peonies, stone fruits, white cherries, freshly baked bread and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and charming, with a seamless and enveloping core of fruit and a lively, fine-boned profile.”

“Aromas of rose, peony, red berries and guava preface the NV Brut Rosé, a medium to full-bodied, elegant and vinous Champagne rosé that concludes with a long, ethereal finish enhanced by menthol notes. A blend of 45% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, it's based on the 2014 vintage with 46% vins de réserve from nine different vintages and the addition of 6% as a red wine, vinified and matured in stainless steel. Dosage: 4.7 grams per liter.”

“Tasted blind. Very pale greyish salmon. Rich rose-petal aroma with quite a bit of voluptuous sweetness. Crisp acidity. Brisk but satisfying. Slightly astringent end.
Drink 2018-2024”

“(45% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage; L206454 17741): Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.”

“This pale-pink wine is stylish, crisp and relatively dry. Full of wild strawberry and citrus, it is lively, bright and lightly perfumed. The texture shows a touch of tannin as well as delicate minerality. Drink this well-balanced wine now.”

“The 2012 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows all the natural radiance of the year. There's gorgeous resonance and texture here. Apricot, spice, tangerine oil and lightly honeyed notes infuse the palate with notable depth and persistence. This rich, expansive Champage has a ton to offer. This release was disgorged nearly two years ago, which also adds to its complexity. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023.”

“This complex Champagne has delicious aromas. It’s electric on the palate, which is creamy yet structured and focused. It has a Long and tense finish.”

“The 2012 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows all the natural radiance of the year. There's gorgeous resonance and texture here. Apricot, spice, tangerine oil and lightly honeyed notes infuse the palate with notable depth and persistence. This rich, expansive Champage has a ton to offer. This release was disgorged nearly two years ago, which also adds to its complexity. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023.”

“This complex Champagne has delicious aromas. It’s electric on the palate, which is creamy yet structured and focused. It has a Long and tense finish.”

“Originating from a late September harvest in a cool, late-ripening season and disgorged in January 2022 with a dosage of 2.9 grams per liter, the 2008 Nicolas François is showing superbly. It opens with an aromatic array of lemon oil, quince, nashi pear and honeysuckle, segueing into a medium-bodied and chiseled yet layered palate. A crisp core of fruit deftly cloaks the vintage’s brisk acidity, avoiding the taut austerity that the year can occasionally impart. Long and penetrating, animated by a pinpoint mousse, the wine’s aromatic promise translates seamlessly from nose to palate. It comes warmly recommended and will continue to deliver considerable pleasure for years to come. Produced from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, with malolactic fermentation largely blocked, it enhances the vintage’s refreshing profile.”

“The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is an electric, nervy Champagne that very much reflects the style of the year. Crushed rocks, mint, spice, dried herbs, hazelnut, lemon peel and marzipan are all beautifully laced together. The 2008 is just entering its first plateau of maturity, making it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next two decades, possibly more. The blend id 60% Pinot Noir (from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay (from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant). It's a terrific effort, although I must add that a recent visit made it pretty clear that even better things lie ahead. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.”

“The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged during the third quarter of 2022 with less than three grams per liter. It has a delicate, pure, clean bouquet with aromas of orchard fruits, spring flowers, honey and licorice, with hints of brioche and pastry with aeration. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and crystalline, with racy acids and a chalky texture, the palate is tense and the finish is long, penetrating and salty. It exhibits perfect Billecart style, yet tension is present, a sign of the vintage. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (sourced from Aÿ, Mareuil and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant, and it matured 83% in tanks and 17% in old oak barrels.”

“Lovely precision and drive to this with aromas of lemon curd, brioche, praline, apricots, pomelos, mandarin zest and salted caramel. It’s held together by a sharp, citrusy backbone of acidity, balanced with a fine, silky mousse. Both structure and softness here. Citrus fruit brightness on a beautifully elegant and seamless finish. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. 150 months on lees. 2.9g/L dosage.”

“Deep gold. Very flirtatious nose soars out of the glass. Transparent and delicate. Firm and still quite structured and backward. Very immediate on the nose. Not that dense but a very confident blend.”

“The 2006 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine, but it needs time to be at its best. I am surprised by how tightly wound it is. But that only makes me think what it might develop into with time in the cellar. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, crushed rocks and sage meld together in a bright, crystalline Champagne endowed with terrific purity.”

“100% grand and premier cru vineyards. Pinot Noir (60%) from Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne. Chardonnay (40%) from Côte des Blancs. Disgorged spring 2017. Dosage 4 g/l.
Tasted blind. The deepest colour of all these wines. Mid straw and persistent bead. Not particularly intense on the nose initially; needed time to open up. Quite noticeable autolysis. Bone dry. Some evidence of oak? Absolutely not a shred of simple fruit here – almost a metallic hint on the end but great, deep undertow. Very complex and uncompromising. Dry and distinctive.
Drink 2016-2030”

“Previous vintage was 1999, which has only just sold out. Disgorged early 2016. Needs a year in bottle prior to shipment. 12-15% oak barrels. This was decanted in the famous Billecart-Salmon decanter to age this ‘baby’ a bit.
Deep gold. And with real presence. Real grip and savour. Serious stuff. A certain richness underneath. Described by Antoine Billecart as ‘still a baby’. Rich start and not that frothy. Dense and savoury. Intellectual wine! Broad and grippy.”

“Very pale. Sophisticated, very sleek, well balanced nose. A remarkably youthful 2002. Clean, brisk chalky palate with a finish that is just slightly sudden. Quite exciting. This still has quite a bit to give.”

“A mesmerizing, thrilling Champagne, the 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is a great example of the vintage at its best. Silky and racy on the palate, yet a bit more restrained than many wines of the year, the Nicolas François Billecart remains vivid and remarkably nuanced. Brioche. apricot jam, wild flowers and honey are some of the many notes that blossom as the Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows off its voluptuous personality. The 2002 is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.”

“The Pinot feels particularly prominent in this vintage. Such a deep, rich, powerful red fruit nose with evolving characters and confectionary, nutty and perfumy tones. Not completely free of bruised notes but beautifully spicy and mellowing. Long-lasting and strong but truly refined palate.”

“The 2009 Vintage is another stellar wine in this range from Billecart-Salmon. This is the first time the Vintage includes Meunier in the blend. That approach has worked out so well here. Resonant and generous, the 2009 is so expressive today. The low dosage of two grams per liter is expertly judged. The 2009 is rich, but not heavy, while offering all of the natural generosity of the year.”

“Pure and limpid but perhaps without the depth of a great champagne. Very much on the dry side. For a wine from the luscious 2009 vintage this is quite taut and demanding!”

“The 2009 Vintage is another stellar wine in this range from Billecart-Salmon. This is the first time the Vintage includes Meunier in the blend. That approach has worked out so well here. Resonant and generous, the 2009 is so expressive today. The low dosage of two grams per liter is expertly judged. The 2009 is rich, but not heavy, while offering all of the natural generosity of the year.”

“Pure and limpid but perhaps without the depth of a great champagne. Very much on the dry side. For a wine from the luscious 2009 vintage this is quite taut and demanding!”

“Deep colour of shiny golden hues. With some six months of post-disgorgement time, this wine looks remarkably youthful, with its ripe, bright and expressive fruitiness. There is fresh apple and apricot alongside dried fruits and fruitcake complexity. The oaky notions are subtle, and oxidation is well under control. The sweet spiciness beautifully lines the aromatics. For a Bollinger R.D., the palate is rather lightweight, but it is beautifully fresh and vivacious. Its secret is rigorous selection and an unusually high proportion of crunchy Verzenay fruit (29%).The wine seems remarkably slow ageing, which is a fine surprise for the vintage. Disgorged 2/22; dosage 3g/l”

“Bollinger’s 2007 R.D. is superb, but it is also a wine that reflects the nature of a unique and challenging growing season. In most vintages the R.D. is marked by the distinct creaminess and breadth of Aÿ Pinot Noir. Two thousand seven, though, was a difficult year marked by very dry weather, rain at the end of the growing season and an early harvest in August, something that was not as common as it has become. Selection was essential. For the 2007, the blend is composed of just 14 villages compared to the more typical 18-25. Verzenay is the main Pinot component while Cramant plays the leading role in the Chardonnays. For these reasons, the 2007 is an R.D. driven by more focus, energy and tension than readers are used to seeing. Lemon confit, dried flowers, sage, mint, crushed rocks, almond and ginger are some of the aromas and flavors that give the 2007 its complex, multi-faceted personality.

The 2007 can be enjoyed now, but I would prefer to cellar it for a few years. It will age effortlessly for decades as it moves through the various phases of its life. I was reminded of the way Champagne can magically traverse time by magical bottles of the 1976 R.D. and 1996 Vieilles Vignes Françaises I tasted recently. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, 91% Grand Cru fruit and the rest Premier Cru. Bollinger fans will notice the return of the original label, with the disgorgement date clearly visible, a tribute to Madame Bollinger, who was a pioneer in so many ways. Disgorged: July 10, 2020. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.”

“Disgorged on July 10, 2020, with three grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's eagerly awaited 2007 Extra-Brut R. D. is beautiful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, citrus pith and white flowers mingled with hints of honey, orange oil, buttery pastry, English walnuts and delicately spicy bass notes. Full-bodied, vibrant and incisive, it's unusually elegant and structurally fine-boned for what is routinely one of Champagne's more muscular tête de cuvées, with a bright spine of acidity that's cloaked in vibrant, concentrated fruit, complemented by a pearly pinpoint mousse and concluding with an intensely sapid finish. Long and penetrating, this is a tightly coiled R. D. that will reward bottle age.

The fruit of an early harvest, beginning on September 1st, Bollinger's superb 2007 R. D. is an unusually delicate, fine-boned rendition of this habitually muscular cuvée. An additional seven years on the lees has brought additional textural and amplitude to the acid spine that was already evident in the 2007 Grande Année, and the slight loss of pressure during aging on cork makes for a more refined, pearly mousse that complements the wine's enhanced texture and amplified sapid nuance. Fermented in used oak cooperage, with tirage under natural cork and disgorgement without added sulfur dioxide (but now with jetting to ensure consistency), it's one of the few tête de cuvée bottlings still made very much as it was 40 years ago. While I don't tend to comment on packaging, Bollinger's decision to revive the tasteful aluminum label that graced this cuvée's debut 1952 rendition, when the redoubtable Madame Lilly Bollinger still presided over this house, does underscore what is a real and not merely superficial commitment to artisanal traditions.”

“Rich and mushroomy in Bollinger style on the nose with a notably dry finish. I think I might stand a good chance of identifying this wine blind…
Drink 2020–2028”

“A hint of hazelnut praline clings to the creamy notions on the nose, aligned to a pleasant smokiness and a hint of dark peony. More air adds notions of white pepper and toasted cumin. The palate is exquisitely creamy – the Bollinger hallmark – but with 2007 this texture is presented with exquisite poise. The bright freshness that underlies all this keeps a subtle but constant presence, lending structure. Beautiful depth lends a kind of solidity that anchors this in chalky soil, a class act and a very grown-up wine that says one thing only: enduring elegance.”

“Very, very different from the usual solid, powerful, broad Bollinger style. More rapier-like in approach with none of the density and mushroom notes that I usually associate with Bollinger. An unexpected style which may broaden perceptions of what this house can do. Crisp, mineral, the immediate effect was actually 'pretty' though with time in the glass it took on more weight. This reflects a little the Bollinger PN VZ15 exclusively from Verzenay with pretty marked acidity at this stage in its life. Refined with a bone-dry finish and a touch of quinine on the end. Should have a long life. Ideally I'd wait until mid 2021 before broaching this long-distance runner. With time in the opened bottle this took on more typical Bollinger weight and character.”

“Lively and more floral than many a Bollinger champagne – almost transparent and filigree. The opposite of heavy with marked but not excessive acidity at this stage. Much is happening at the house of Bollinger under chef de cave Denis Bunner! B13 Brut preceded it. I think this may be a pre-release sample.”

“While one is unlikely—if not hard-pressed—to find complaints with the 2014 Blanc de Noirs La Côte aux Enfants when enjoyed on its own, it does appear somewhat less harmonious when set against the 2015 and 2013 vintages. Disgorged in February 2024 with a dosage of six grams per liter, it opens from the glass with aromas of ripe pear, beeswax and orange zest. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, vinous and incisive, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit supported by bright acidity. Lacking both the maturity of vintages such as 2015 and 2012 and the purity of 2013, the 2014 currently seems slightly overshadowed. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if it gains cohesion and depth with further bottle age—in which case, my current score may ultimately prove conservative. As always, the fruit hails from the northwest-facing sector of a vineyard in Aÿ, this time achieving 10.7% potential alcohol prior to harvest.”

“The 2014 La Côte aux Enfants is a powerful, resonant Champagne. It emerges from north-facing parcels in a site best known for still reds. Kirsch, leather, spice, tobacco, ginger and cinnamon all build in the glass. Readers will find a Champagne that shows the wilder, gamier side of Pinot Noir allied to a good bit of supporting structure. This is a fine effort from Bollinger. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.”

“Already after a few seconds of encountering the wine's wonderful bouquet, I could state that 2014 Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants is in many ways the very essence of "old style Bollinger". The color is very deep golden and I was blown away by how rich and mature the wine felt right away. Significantly fuller and more voluminous than both 2012 and 2013. The scent is actually as big this time as VVF and even more mature. All of this surprised me as 2014 is generally the lightest of the three. Here it was the opposite. The only thing that somehow makes me recognize the vintage is the neat and elegant note of grilled lemons I find more and more marked as the wine sounds majestically in the mouth. Perhaps this wine personifies the soul and heart of Bollinger better than any other wine. If you have been in Bollinger's cellar and in the beautiful hall where all the oak barrels are lined up, you will probably never forget the unique aroma you find there. With Bollinger's deliberately oxidative vinification, all wines from there will be strongly influenced by their external environment. When everything goes right, as it has here, this fragrance makes for a fabulously stylish personal spice. In the first place, of course, it is the micro-oxidation through the fibers of the oak barrel that leaves an impression, but also the notes of old oak with their grilled, lightly burnt and faintly smoked notes that attract autumn forest and Finnish sauna give great pleasure. From the concentrated Pinot Noir grapes, you get an extract-rich juiciness and a chewy red fruit of Gravensteiner apple, beetroot, apricot jam, strawberries and honey. From Aÿ's terroir comes an unmistakable aroma of hazelnut, honeysuckle, leather and tobacco. Can this masterpiece be stored? Sure, but does it make it better? Hardly, probably a slump will come in a few years and a new beautiful phase will only enter in ten years when new parts of the personality take shape. Different and just as good, but hardly better.”

“Lively yet delicate mousse. Attractive yellow tropical fruit nuances, hints of peach and mango, fresh meadow herbs, lime zest, very fine hints of walnut and honey blossom in the background. Substantial, complex and silky with dense texture, white stone fruit, delicate hints of liquorice, cinnamon, salty freshness and subtle hints of Golden Delicious. Finely embedded acidity structure, ripe, without any unnecessary sweetness, candied orange on the finish, lingers very long, certain ageing potential for further decades. Already easy to drink, will continue to improve.”

“The 2012 Blanc de Noirs La Côte aux Enfants is a new Champagne from Bollinger made from a southwest-facing, 2-hectare parcel in Aÿ that was redeveloped 25 years ago adjacent to the block that has informed the house’s Coteaux Champenois since 1934. Even in 2012 – a radiant year – the Côte aux Enfants is intensely bright and tightly wound, a reflection of very thin soils with just 30 centimeters of topsoil above pure chalk. That reticence is probably a very good sign for its long-term aging prospects. Time brings out hints of apricot, peach, red plum, kirsch, wild flowers, chalk, spice and white pepper, but the 2012 only starts to blossom with a ton of air. The 2012 was disgorged in March 2022. Dosage is 8 grams per liter, on the higher side these days, but not at all noticeable. Stylistically, the Côte aux Enfants is not as exotic as the VVF, nor as steely as the new series of multi-vintage PN Blanc de Noirs Bollinger began releasing with the 2015 vintage. I can’t wait to see how it ages, but I also wouldn’t dream of touching a bottle any time soon, except for academic purposes.”

“With three years of maturation post-disgorgement—following its March 2022 disgorgement with a dosage of eight grams per liter—I am pleased to report that Bollinger’s inaugural 2012 Blanc de Noirs La Côte aux Enfants is no longer as restrained as described in William Kelley’s 2023 tasting note, and it now presents as expressive and inviting, though unmistakably distinct from the incisive, more linear style of the 2013 vintage. The fruit reached a potential alcohol of 10.9% prior to harvest in 2012, surpassed only by the 2015. On the nose, it reveals a deep bouquet of ripe pear, orange zest, baking spices, toasted nuts and a hint of brioche. Medium- to full-bodied and vinous in character, it is charming and flavorful, with a generous core of fruit supported by tangy acidity and concludes with a long, enveloping finish. Flamboyant and full of character, it is already drinking with satisfaction and unmistakably bears the hallmark of Bollinger’s style.”

“Produced from the northwest-facing part of this famed Aÿ vineyard, whose sunnier slopes produce Bollinger's red Côteaux Champenois, the 2012 Brut Blanc de Noirs La Côte Aux Enfants was disgorged in March 2022 with eight grams per liter dosage. Exhibiting aromas of golden orchard fruit, mirabelle plum, praline and honeyed toast, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and chiseled, with a deep core of fruit, terrific tension and a long, penetrating finish. This is a serious, characterful Champagne that debuts in the Bollinger range with a clear identity of its own.”

“Bollinger’s 2018 La Grande Année is quite pretty and delicate. Floral and citrus notes are nicely lifted in a Grande Année that offers notable sensuality and grace. Hints of orchard fruit, chamomile, mint and chalk build through the midpalate and into the taut, chiseled finish. There’s plenty of energy and focus. More importantly, this is a fine effort in a year marked by high yields in Champagne. I would give this a few years in the cellar. The 2018 is 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay from 19 villages, 73% Grand Cru and 37% Premier Cru. The core villages are Aÿ, Verzenay and Mareuil for Pinot Noir and Avize, Chouilly and Cuis for the Chardonnay. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 2025”

“Originating from a hot and dry growing season—particularly from mid-June onward—during which harvest began as early as August 23 and lasted for a full two weeks, Bollinger’s 2018 La Grande Année, composed of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, was disgorged in March 2025 with a dosage of six grams per liter. The wine has turned out very well in the vintage context, presenting—unsurprisingly—a broader and more succulent profile than the racy, fine-boned renditions of 2014 and 2008. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of peach, yellow apple, and orange peel mingled with freshly baked bread and mango, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and textural, with a generous core of fruit, animated by a pillowy mousse and laden with ripe yet vibrant acidity, carrying through to a long finish. It is slightly more expressive in magnum format, though in either case, it will benefit from a few years of post-disgorgement aging to fully unwind.”

“If 2015 was like a walk in the forest in autumn, 2018 is spring-winter just when nature is starting to wake up. Enormous expectant energy and an underlying well-hidden power that will be firing on all cylinders after 2035. A real knockout fist treacherously draped in silk gloves. Cold, fresh and sparkling notes of citrus and Granny Smith apples dance beautifully together with the more classic Bollinger notes of brioche and gunpowder-smoky minerality. Right now, there are more green apples here than red apples, more raspberries than peaches, more acacia and yellow roses than honeysuckle, more bitter almonds than hazelnuts, more cinnamon than tar, more shiitake mushrooms than cep, more butterscotch than chocolate, more light birch wood than heavy sauna notes.”

“Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. ”

“The 2015 Brut La Grande Année was disgorged last year with eight grams per liter dosage. The wine has turned out beautifully, exhibiting a more muscular, old-school Bollinger profile in contrast to the unusually racy, fine-boned 2014 that preceded it. Wafting from the glass with notes of pear, orange oil and white flowers mingled with notions of mocha, toasted hazelnuts and fino sherry, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, with a dense core of fruit framed by chalky structuring extract, concluding with a long, sapid finish.”

“Oops, is it already time for another vintage of this gem? Amazing how fast time goes. 2015 is generally a problematic vintage with heat stress and a period of drought. It is no art to get richness and power in the wines, but elegance and freshness are rare. Because Bollinger's house style is inherently so masculinely powerful, Bollinger's eminent team focused on preserving freshness first and foremost. According to Denis Bunner, Bollinger felt that the grapes they had access to gave more typicity and greater elegance to the Chardonnay this time. Hence a slightly higher content of the green grape than in the original recipe. Perhaps even more important was the choice of Avize and Verzenay as engines. Verzenay behaves in many ways like Chardonnay with its chalky elegance and great purity. This time the shares of Aÿ and Verzenay were equal for the unusual skull. Fat Cramant and Oger were now downplayed and Avize was primarily supported by tight Chouilly. An interesting detail that reduces tannin, clumsiness and contributes to an increased sense of freshness is, oddly enough, oak barrels. This is due to its great age and the company's strict selection of the best casks that only provide microoxidation. The color is already deep golden with a fine stream of tiny bubbles fighting their way up through the glycerol-rich concentrated wine. Intense and rich and at the same time nuanced and complex. The small concentrated grapes ultimately produced an ultimate gastronomic masterpiece. The scent cannonade is classic Bollinger, but fresh and more nuanced than I expected from the vintage. Stone fruits, honeysuckle, honey, plum marmalade, Cox Orange, raspberry, almond, hazelnut, leather, tanned skin, cigar, and duck liver are all clear instruments in the orchestra playing their richly generous vintage anthem. The freshness does not come from acid this time, but from lack of water and concentrated extracts in a similar way as the even more extreme 2003. I finish I find tobacco, forest and chocolate with sea salt, a delicious combination. Precisely the saltiness and the slightly higher tannin content contribute to making this a perfect partner for poultry in all its forms.”

“The 2015 La Grande Année, disgorged in May 2024 with a dosage of eight grams per liter, continues to drink beautifully, emerging from the glass with a deep bouquet of yellow apple, dried apricot, nashi pear and toasted hazelnut mingled with dried flowers, freshly baked bread and a hint of sage. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is layered and fleshy, underpinned by ample reserves of chalky structuring extract, and concludes with a long, saline finish. It is a considerable success in the vintage and a very classic Bollinger, a wine with real identity.”

“The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter.
”

“Offering up complex aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, frangipane, walnuts, dried white flowers and subtle hints of iodine, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année is medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit that's underpinned by racy acids and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, chalky finish, this is a charming but precise Grande Année that's more giving and demonstrative than its immediate predecessor, the 2012, but which attains a very similar level of quality in a more challenging vintage—testimony to the serious viticulture that underpins Bollinger's contemporary excellence.”

“I belong to the group of people that believes that Bollinger above all shows its greatness in lighter and more elegant vintages as the inherent Pinot-driven masculine power they possess is always sufficient. In the grand generous vintages, one must fight hard to hold back the rumbling force and maintain freshness and sublime details. 2014 is a textbook example in the lighter category. Many champagnes from 2014 are simply too light, vague, and floral in nature, but this does not apply in any way to Bollinger La Grande Année. Here, they have beautifully navigated their way between the grains of the vintage and instead focused on its merits. The champagne is thus clearer and more elegant with a higher proportion of Chardonnay from Chouilly and Oiry than usual to include and embrace the citrusy and floral sides. The extremely intense aroma is otherwise dominated by a marked air of sea breezes, sea urchins, oyster shells, iodine and gunpowder smoke originating from Verzenay. There is also a light note of hazelnut and leather from Aÿ. The combination of these pillars and all complementary villages also gives a delicate fruit with hints of orange citrus, peach, and Mirabelle plum. The aromas come again in the fine and medium-bodied taste with an added note of the finest vanilla and fresh cep in olive oil. Overall, this is an extremely beautiful and complex Bollinger on the finer and more elegant half of the whole. I love how you find new little details in a harmonious simplicity with each new sip. Fascinating and beautiful already, grand as R.D. in 10 years or more and without a doubt one of the vintage's rare hits.”

“The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter.
”

“Offering up complex aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, frangipane, walnuts, dried white flowers and subtle hints of iodine, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année is medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit that's underpinned by racy acids and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, chalky finish, this is a charming but precise Grande Année that's more giving and demonstrative than its immediate predecessor, the 2012, but which attains a very similar level of quality in a more challenging vintage—testimony to the serious viticulture that underpins Bollinger's contemporary excellence.”

“I belong to the group of people that believes that Bollinger above all shows its greatness in lighter and more elegant vintages as the inherent Pinot-driven masculine power they possess is always sufficient. In the grand generous vintages, one must fight hard to hold back the rumbling force and maintain freshness and sublime details. 2014 is a textbook example in the lighter category. Many champagnes from 2014 are simply too light, vague, and floral in nature, but this does not apply in any way to Bollinger La Grande Année. Here, they have beautifully navigated their way between the grains of the vintage and instead focused on its merits. The champagne is thus clearer and more elegant with a higher proportion of Chardonnay from Chouilly and Oiry than usual to include and embrace the citrusy and floral sides. The extremely intense aroma is otherwise dominated by a marked air of sea breezes, sea urchins, oyster shells, iodine and gunpowder smoke originating from Verzenay. There is also a light note of hazelnut and leather from Aÿ. The combination of these pillars and all complementary villages also gives a delicate fruit with hints of orange citrus, peach, and Mirabelle plum. The aromas come again in the fine and medium-bodied taste with an added note of the finest vanilla and fresh cep in olive oil. Overall, this is an extremely beautiful and complex Bollinger on the finer and more elegant half of the whole. I love how you find new little details in a harmonious simplicity with each new sip. Fascinating and beautiful already, grand as R.D. in 10 years or more and without a doubt one of the vintage's rare hits.”

“Disgorged in July 2019, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année is showing well, offering up an incipiently complex bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, orange oil, toasted walnuts and dried apricot that's still quite reserved with less than a year on cork. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, the 2012 is blockier and broader-shouldered than its 2008 predecessor, with a weightier and even more concentrated palate built around a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish that carries appreciably dry extract. This isn't quite as elegant as the exquisite 2008, but it is a superb effort and obviously built to age.”

“I love the magical moment when I get the chance, as the first journalist, to lighten the cork of the latest vintage of Bollinger La Grande Année…….The wine is made from 21 villages with Aÿ and Verzenay in the driver's seat backed by elegance from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry. The wine is characterized by vitality and energy more than depth at present. The colour has a brilliant golden glow and the mousse is almost panting in its resilient youthfulness. The scent is beautifully house typical, dominated by apricot, almond, hazelnut and a smoky sophisticated intensity as from a newly lit outdoor fire. The attack is stunningly intense and the weight in the oral cavity leaves nothing left to wish for. Resilient energy and fullness are combined with greatness. Anyone who has patience will be rewarded with truffled flavour layers,chocolate saturated complexity and added exoticism of honeysuckle in the wine's bouquet.”

“65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay. 21 crus: mainly Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry for the Chardonnay. All base wines aged in old oak and riddled and disgorged by hand. Dosage 8 g/l. Disgorged in May 2019.
Bright crème pâtissière nose with notes of Cox's orange pippin apple and lots of development. Really quite arresting. Much drier on the palate than the nose suggests, with a certain steeliness. Bone-dry finish but lots of substance on the mid palate. More recognisably Bollinger on the palate than the surprisingly rich, flirtatious nose, presumably informed by the vintage. Low-key mousse. This is clearly a long-distance runner.”

“The 2012 Grande Année is vibrant and wonderfully nuanced. Citrus peel, orchard fruit, brioche, dried flowers and chamomile are all finely knit in a Grand Année built on energy and persistence more than size. Readers will find a restrained Grand Année in 2012. There is plenty of the textural richness that is such a signature of the house style, but I am also struck by the wine's freshness. Best of all, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate. It is quite expressive today, even in the early going.”

“Opened three weeks earlier and then re-stoppered. Disgorged June 2016. Tasted blind.
Quite complex nose and really dry and fully integrated. Hint of walnuts. Evolved yet with good fruit. This could be the RD… Complicated – requires lots of intellectual concentration. Very long.
Drink 2017-2024”

“Disgorged June 2016. Tasted blind.
Sweet and rich. I don’t think I’d guess it as Bolly on the nose. Then fairly dry on the end which might give it away. Lots of substance here. Firm and confident. Bone dry and rather demanding. Youthful. 12.5%
Drink 2016-2026”

“Deep, earthy-spicy, honeyed and nutty nose with dried fruit complexity. The oaky tones prevail underneath ample fruitiness. The evolved nose is complemented by a highly fresh, event tight palate with lovely nervosity and refreshment. The palate texture is silky smooth and vinous. Long lemony finish with notions of minerality. ”

“Bollinger's 2007 Brut La Grande Année is quite pretty. Elegant, restrained and understated in style, the 2007 is one of the more delicate young Grande Années I can remember tasting. Mid-weight structure and silky texture only reinforce that impression. Lemon oil, red berry, dried flowers and chamomile open up nicely, but it is the wine's overall feel that stands out most. Best of all, the 2007 will drink well with no cellaring. Disgorged: September 2016.”

“Magnum. Current vintage. 70% Pinot Noir, much from their own vineyards. Disgorged April 2017. Dosage 7 g/l. About 13 different villages. pH is under 3. The vintage was criticised by many people. The opening date of harvest was 20 August because of botrytis but at that stage the potential alcohol was only 9.3 or 9.4 degrees – too low! Bollinger waited until September.
Mid gold. Lots of acidity. Masses of energy and a bit more honey than some Bollingers. Apples and honey on the palate. Very fresh and even a lightly yeasty note on the palate. More refreshing than the Bolly stereotype. Maybe not that long but hugely flirtatious within the Bollinger idiom. This will definitely be an RD, I was told. Subtly mineral. Muscular.
Drink 2017-2030”

“Deep, earthy-spicy, honeyed and nutty nose with dried fruit complexity. The oaky tones prevail underneath ample fruitiness. The evolved nose is complemented by a highly fresh, event tight palate with lovely nervosity and refreshment. The palate texture is silky smooth and vinous. Long lemony finish with notions of minerality.”

“It might seem a bit surprising that Bollinger skipped the great vintage of 2006 for the more modest 2007. For me that choice is however quite logical since the Bollinger house style is much better suited to austere vintages than for fruit bombs. Here we have a classic and perfectly balanced Bollinger with deep layers and beautiful crisp apple acidity. Gorgeous balance between the dark and light as a perfect Ying and Yang marriage. Layers of dry cocoa, hazelnut fudge, dried apricots and juicy red apples dominate over a beautiful hint of forest aromas based on sous bois and mushrooms in the background. One of the three best champagnes from this vintage.”

“Already quite deep gold. Beefy and substantial with both breadth and depth but also great refreshment value. Real Bollinger character.”

“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.”

“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. ”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Red fruit dominant nose with pastry nuances. There is a beautifully Burgundian feel to it with an accentuated oaky note without too much of an oxidative ad-on. Dry, serious finish with its 7g/l dosage. Big and bold but not one of the most complex of vintages. ”

“Really interesting, complex nose with lots of age and development and polished autumn-leaf characters. Fascinating wine that is probably too interesting to throw back at a reception. Complete and compelling.”

“(disgorged January, 2013): Light, bright gold. Powerful orchard and pit fruit aromas are complemented by smoky lees, iodine, chamomile and buttered toast. At once fleshy and energetic, offering deeply pitched poached pear, peach pit and brioche flavors and a suave floral element. Finishes smoky and very long, with mounting spiciness and lingering floral and vanilla notes.”

“Originally this wine showed an edge of austerity and bitterness over the powerful, compressed core. The R.D. showed more charm upon launch. Tasted in magnum only in May 2016: a mild earthy-mineral oxidative note but under control. Spice, vanilla, apple, apple pie. Long and firm, zesty but laudably harmonious. Points for magnum.”

“Disgorged October 2010. Tasted blind.
Something a bit rubbery on the nose but very tense and exciting. Is this the 2008? Tense and vibrant, with lots of complexity and persistence. Impressive for its age. 12%
Drink 2012-2030”

“Since the year 1990 made vintage wines from Bollinger in a little fruitier more persikodoftande style with slightly less pronounced smokiness and nuttiness. I was always more impressed initially by the previous style, but it feels like the differences even out over time. 2002 is very fruity and a little slippery at the moment, but I am convinced that the fruitiness will be low, and that we will see a deeper beauty over time. Fantastic in magnum.”

“60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Pale gold. Very sumptuous nose. Inspirationally serious. Layers and dry with enormous tightness and very tiny bead. Something almost beery about the yeast element. You could definitely enjoy this already but there is also massive potential. Very dry finish. Uncompromising. You wouldn't give this to a beginner. Long, peacock's tail finish.”

“The 2002 Brut La Grande Annee is marvelous. The 2002 is an understated Grande Annee that caresses the palate with layers of effortless, weightless fruit. The mousse is exceptionally fine, which adds to the impression of total elegance. This is a relatively bright, floral Grande Annee with plenty of aromatic lift, inner perfume and no sense of heaviness at all. A rich, creamy finish adds the final note of complexity and pedigree. The 2002 is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 71% from Grand Cru villages and 29% from Premier Crus. Disgorged February 2011.”

“Born from the addition of five percent of La Côte aux Enfants red wine into the white La Grande Année blend, this fine rosé delights with its sweet fruity appeal of freshly crushed strawberries, apricot tart, candied fruit and orange peel. Rather fruit-forward and highly youthful for the time being, there is much more aromatic complexity to surface over time. The fine quality of the red wine of the year can be sensed on the palate, where the tannin structure feels firm but extremely elegant. Its mouthfeel is juicy with an attractive rounding oiliness to the texture. The wine is free of the common vegetal austerity of the year, instead it shows the richness and deliciousness of its sun-kissed harvest year. The fine fruit quality and seductively silky tannin structure ensure its great ageworthiness. ”

“The soulful depth of La Grande Année Rosé stems from the discreet yet powerful addition of five percent La Côte aux Enfants red wine. The 2015 vintage shows a luminous deep orange hue. Its nose leans into savouriness, layered with char and a twist of black pepper. The fruit is refined and irresistibly charming, yet brimming with personality. Dried apricots lead, joined by Mirabelle plums and Maraschino cherries. On the palate, it flows with vinous grace and harmonious length, a standout achievement from a challenging year. Disgorgement date:01/02/24. Dosage:7g/l.”

“Bollinger's 2015 Brut La Grande Année Rosé was disgorged in May last year with seven grams per liter dosage. Offering up deep aromas of orchard fruits, blood orange, mandarin rind and peach mingled with nuances of coffee, praline and fino sherry, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and layered, with a broad attack that segues into a vinous palate framed by high levels of structuring dry extract that makes its presence felt on the sapid, nutty and penetrating finish. Given the skin maturity and inherent structure of the year, the Bollinger team elected to include only 4.5% of still red wine in the blend, a comparatively low percentage.”

“Pale, slightly gris salmon pink (a little paler than the Billecart 2012 Elisabeth Salmon rosé tasted alongside). Heady, mushroomy, off-dry, sumptuous Bollinger gloriousness on the palate. I wonder what the dosage is, and whether the richness comes mainly from the fruit and oak? Finishes dry, but with wonderfully soothing impact on the palate. Relatively gentle mousse. Really gets to the deepest part of the throat. Sensational!”

“Disgorged in February 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, Bollinger's 2015 La Grande Année Rosé is showing very well, delivering notes of blood orange, cowberry and brioche mingled with nectarine stone. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is muscular yet racy, with a crisp core of fruit animated by a pillowy mousse and framed by structuring extract that leads into a long, saline finish. Whereas many large-house rosés today tend to exhibit a cloying mid-palate sweetness, this cuvée avoids the trap and comes warmly recommended.”

“Tasted blind. Deep, slightly greyish salmon colour. Real depth and intrigue to this nose. Could be Nyetimber 1086? Lots of phenolics on the finish but pretty exciting on the way there. Very meaty. Food wine. Very good.
Drink 2019-2024”

“Medium onion-skin. Coffee lees expression over dark cherry, some flint and dried-herb savouriness. Some old-cream complexity that needs coaxing from the glass. Firm, chalky texture with red and black cherry, some orange-citrus and plenty of nutty lees. Fine, brooding and dense. Needs time to open. Very fine rosé.”

“I have tasted an excellent, beautifully fresh, precise and and persistent range of Bollinger Champagne. The Brut Rosé is just fabulous and helps to bridge the time we have to wait for the promising and highly refined 2007 Grande Année Rosé that still needs some years in the bottle to play out its class and complexity. 2007 saw a very early harvest, and the exceptional wines are characterized by freshness and finesse. For the moment, I prefer the very fine, elegant and chalky style of the Grande Année Rosé to the more rich and full-bodied Blanc. I'm also excited to follow the evolution of the 2004 R. D. Extra Brut that was just disgorged in February and combines freshness with maturity but will improve over the years. The 2014 La Côte aux Enfants, a 12% alcohol Pinot Noir from Aÿ, is a filigreed red Coteaux Champenois and is fabulous in its lightness, purity and elegance. However, it is still young and peppery and needs some years to gain more complexity.”

“PN AYC18 is a showpiece for the expansive dimensions, intoxicating allure and purity of Aÿ pinot noir; a wonderfully characterful blanc de noirs that celebrates the sumptuous fruit generosity of 2018 and the purity and precision of this fabled cru. With the generous tones of a full straw hue and a blush tint, it ripples with grand fruit depth of red cherries and perfectly ripe plums. The magnificent depth of complexity that is Bollinger rumbles in deep reserves, reminiscent of fruit mince spice and dried nectarines. I love that it is so emphatically Aÿ, so intrinsically Bollinger, and yet all transposed with the transparency and delicious fruit generosity that is 2018. It holds fantastic, succulent allure on a very long finish; the ripeness of 2018 translating in supple, silky fruit generosity, yet in no way heavy or broad, beautifully energised by the fine chalk salinity and pure acid freshness that make Aÿ such a beloved place.”

“Based on the 2018 vintage, complemented by reserve wines aged in magnum dating back to 2009, Bollinger's newly released NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN AYC18 was disgorged this year with six grams per liter dosage. Foregrounding the village of Aÿ, a commune crucial to Bollinger's distinctive style, the wine wafts from the glass with aromas of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, buttered toast, freshly baked bread and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an ample core of fruit that's girdled by lively acids and animated by an elegant pinpoint mousse, this suave, charming Champagne concludes with a chalky finish. This has turned out beautifully.”

“Finally, it was time for Aÿ to take center stage in Bollinger's new Pinot Noir series. It wasn't until the fourth edition that one got home to the house's most powerful stronghold and DNA. In comparison to the three previous editions, we are dealing with a tasting winner from the start. The oak notes and the home village's smoky features hit me like a wall of sauna, grilled meat, hazelnuts and tar. The color is deeper than in previous editions and the power stronger than in the first three PN. 47% of the wine comes from the home village in casks both from 2018 and in the reserve wine on magnums from 2009. In between these mighty parts we have steel tank-aged Tauxières, Avenay and Verzenay from the lighter and more mineral-influenced vintages of 2016 and 2017. This particular side takes the biggest place in the middle register and mid-palate of the wine. In aroma and aftertaste, Aÿ pushes forward with its broad muscular shoulders and leaves no one untouched. A bargain with peak 2030–2035!”

“PN AYC18 #MagnumEffect – Very flattering the plush peachy ripeness 100% Pinot Noir of south facing chalky slopes overlooking the village of Ay, 47% of the blend, the chalky notes super visible and a chunk 25% of #ReserveMagnums really add the fat richness to the texture. I love this wine magnum effect adding a smoky freshness! ”

“A tender nose shows of a sense of fresh, sweet cream and crushed berry – unusually with a hint of blueberry, followed by Red Delicious apple and a beautifully lifted and aromatic note of tangerine. The palate is sinuous and elegant, there is wonderful depth of fruit and that lovely signature creaminess of Bollinger expressed in superfine foam. There is subtle length that only emphasises the depth of flavour. Very elegant, very expressive, as vivid, energetic and vibrant as the previous releases under this series. Lovely. ”

“On the stylish nose, spicy, woody and hazelnut tones meet pristine Pinot Noir fruitiness. The challenging 2017 harvest is the base here, and Bollinger found, in Tauxières, the fruit quality and profile to craft this edition of its pop-up cuvée. Coming with a fine yeasty notion and well protected from oxidation, the fruitiness really shines loud and bright, supported by a complexity brought about by the reserve wines. The palate carries the lightness and freshness of the cool year, and it all ends on a brisk, dry note. This is a delightfully different and beautifully delicate wine from Bollinger. Disgorged 2/22; dosage 4g/l”

“A deep honey colour for a champagne. Very seductive nose with considerable apparent evolution on it. Much more youthful on the palate than the nose suggests and some dried apple-skin notes on the bone-dry, impressively persistent finish. Very much in the house style. A worthy successor to previous cuvées of this wine, with its own personality.
Drink 2022–2032”

“The wine is almost completely dominated by the extremely exciting and rare Tauxières Premier Cru, which is one of two villages classified 99% on the Grand Cru scale. Despite an impressive vineyard area of 237 hectares, it is extremely rare to come across champagnes dominated by this fantastic Cru. A cooler microclimate and a thinner soil layer with even more compact chalk than sunny Bouzy make the wines from here lighter and more elegant than Bouzy but stronger than Verzenay which is also part of this exciting Blanc de Noirs with predominantly base from 2017. Here is also a small splash of Avenay to give a little buttery roundness to the cuvée with its low dosage of 4 grams. The reserve wines that always come from magnum bottles under low pressure make up 48% from three vintages in 2016, 2009 and 2006. In total, half of the wine is made in oak barrels and the other half in steel tanks. The result is very beautiful and personal. The scent has features of lead pencil, juniper and freshly lacquered boat together with more classic coffee notes, rose petals, apricot and peach. The taste is vivid and multifaceted with a lively precision, lighter fruit aromas than you normally find in Bollinger's wines. Even cassis is one of the more unexpected aromas in this finely tuned complex symphony. Very impressive and exciting champagne that really makes me want to taste more and that I will look out for to my private cellar.”

“PN TX17 100% PN Base 2017 4 g/l Oldest Reserve 2006 D: Jan 2022
The partial barrel fermentation lends a toasty spice note, supported by masses of fruit, peach, grapefruit richness, blueberry, cranberry, dark cherry and hints of blackberry. Delicious dark fruit build on the palate, real richness to the fruit that’s super pure and the impact of the chalk is obvious on the palate, it adds minerality/chalk charm together with acidity make this super fresh with that great saline finish. Going back you really see the array of “crunchy fruit” and the low dosage sits really well. Barrel fermentation of 50% of the wines has created a great balance of oak impact and the 49% reserve wines back to 2006 add incredible depth. Bollinger’s own vineyards provide 80% of the fruit.”

“As with the PN VZ16, the NV Champagne Blanc de Noirs PN TX17 Brut was fermented half in barrels and half in stainless steel. It is also 100% Pinot Noir, mostly from the village of Tauxières, predominantly from 2017, with reserve wines contributing to the blend. Floral on the nose, with yellow orchard fruit and baked bread, it is ripe but more linear in its approach and follow through. It’s a very pretty wine to drink. Best after 2022.”

“A finely detailed Champagne, with pointillist bubbles softly bursting on the palate, carrying a delicate, layered range of ripe raspberry and yellow peach, candied ginger and crystalized honey, chopped nuts and fleur de sel. Minerally chalk and saline accents drive the finish.”

“The NV PN-TX20 is a powerful, tightly wound wine. All the drive of Pinot comes through in this decidedly virile Champagne. As with all the wines in this new series from Bollinger, the NV PN-TX20 is built around a base wine, in this case 2020 Pinot Noir from Tauxières, with 50% reserve wines, half of them from Bollinger's extensive library of reserve wines aged in magnum. This is an especially vinous Champagne, one that needs at least a year or two in bottle to unwind. The year was characterized by a relatively short cycle of just 87 days from flowering to a harvest that began on August 25”

“Named after the village of Tauxières, from which it takes its abbreviation, the new NV Blanc de Noirs PN TX20 contains 40% fruit sourced from Tauxières, and the remaining composition draws largely from Aÿ-Champagne and Avenay-Val-d'Or. This cuvée is based on the 2020 vintage (48%), complemented by reserve wines from 2019 (stored in tank) as well as 2012 and 2008 (both aged in magnums). Disgorged in February 2025 with a dosage of eight grams per liter, it bursts from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe pear, tangerine peel, clove and brioche. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, broad and textural, with lively acidity and a generous core of fruit. The finish is expansive, though a subtle sweetness emerges, lending the impression of being one of the least dry expressions among the house’s Pinot Noir Champagnes. Vinified equally in stainless steel and oak barrels, approximately 80% of the fruit for this cuvée is sourced from Bollinger’s own vineyards.”

“The latest rendition of Bollinger's blended blanc de noirs bottling is the NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN VZ19; it is based on the 2019 vintage, which represents 52% of the blend, and the village of Verzenay, which accounts for the origin of 40% of this bottling's components. 2019 is complemented by fully 48% reserve wines, and above all, fully a quarter derives from 2009; and it has the tension of Verzenay by Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Tauxières and Mutigny. If all that sounds complicated, the wine's appeal is easier to see, as it offers up a demonstrative bouquet of yellow stone fruit, mandarin and praline, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and pillowy palate that's charming, even giving, but also attractively racy, concluding with a saline finish. It was disgorged with six grams per liter dosage. This doesn't tower above its 2018-base counterpart (perhaps unsurprisingly, as the percentage of reserve wines in this bottling is so high), but it does seem to be marginally the strongest iteration of this cuvée to date.”

“The NV (2019) PN VZ is another terrific wine in this new range of Champagnes from Bollinger that is now in its fifth release. Exotic floral and spice notes play off a core of Pinot fruit in this captivating, mid-weight offering. Time in the glass accents the wine’s inner sweetness and perfume. Pear, mint, jasmine and white pepper linger. In this release, the (2019) PN VZ is like a mini-Vieilles Vignes Francaises. It’s an incredibly racy, sexy Blanc de Noirs. This release is based on 2019, with 50% reserve wines back to 2009. About half of the reserve wines were aged in magnum. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Drinking Window 2024-2039.”

“The concentration for a relative recent disgorgement is surprising, abundance of dark fruits, orange, grapefruit, lemon, peach and a layer of spice intwined around tropical fruits, explodes further on the palate. The hallmark of 2019 as a year is more restraint over 18, I’d describe as a more vertical style with amazing freshness and racy acidity as opposed to a fatter horizontal year like 2018 and 2009. I really like the texture, wraps around the palate, oak is very much a contributor not dominator as you see in LGA and all in all this wins for me on overall balance, raciness and bright saline end. I would buy magnums and enjoy them a decade later and the bottles will reward a few more years post disgorgement time.”

“PN returns to its Verzenay origins (as per its first iterations as VZ15 and VZ16, followed by TX17 and AYC18). 2019 ranks among the best of Champagne’s recent vintages and the cool, north-eastern slopes of Verzenay uphold compelling tension in the midst of a warming climate. The result is a magnificent juxtaposition between the rumbling, billowing depths of ripe pinot noir like only Bollinger can conjure, thanks to the presence and magnitude of primarily Aÿ and also Avenay-val-d’Or, Tauxières, and Mutigny, and the pristine definition and lifted freshness of vibrant fruit that characterises Verzenay. Boasting a medium straw hue, it wells up with deep black and red cherry fruit, satsuma plum, blackberries and layers of anise and sarsaparilla. Barrel fermentation and a record 25 percent of reserve magnums lend their characteristic creaminess and subtle patisserie complexity, but it is the fine chalk minerality of Verzenay chalk that remains the hero of a long finish, upholding magnificent texture, tension and crystalline brightness like no other pinot village.”

“Unsurprisingly, the 2019 base year with its richness once again received mineral-influenced Verzenay (40%) as the base terroir when Aÿ produced slightly too rich wines. The reserve wines on the magnum once again go all the way down to the tasty 2009 vintage all from Verzenay. Aÿ, Louvois, Bisseuil, Avenay, Tours-sur-Marne, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Mutigny stand for the background chords. Currently, the champagne charms through its complex and youthfully energetic bouquet of peach peel, gooseberry, cox orange apples, sea buckthorn, geranium and marigolds. The texture is at the same time softly ripe and velvety. The breadth of flavours is magnificently orchestrated and each new sip brings additional aromas at hand. The potential alcohol content was record high from the start especially in Aÿ with 11.1 % straight away and Denis, just like me, sees great similarities between 2015 and 2019, but where the sharpness and freshness is better in 2019. It is not the acidity but rather the mineral salt that gives the freshness together with the sense of umami the concentrated grapes give. Here there is a swirl of exotic fruit and honey, but also a dry smokiness that I've learned to associate with the cluster of aromas that transforms over time into the note of railway on a hot summer's day. It might sound fuzzy, but it actually makes perfect sense. The combination of heated rail, dry gravel, dandelions and nettles that thrive in the embankment gives a concentrated warm dryness that is strongly reminiscent of the character the grapes acquire when the temperature crosses the vine's pain point on a few hot summer days. 41 degrees in the shade was a heat record in Champagne and especially a lot of shade, the vineyards in Champagne cannot boast of so the effect is reminiscent of that which arose in 1947, 1959, 1976 and 2003. Hence this aroma albeit less marked in 2019. Let's see if I'm right in 10 years when I expect that "the famous note of Railroad track" will appear in this beauty. PN VZ19 is tasted with great pleasure and intellectual challenge straight away, but personally, as usual, I will wait as long as I can before opening my own bottles to get the increasing depth of butter-fried cepp and toasted hazelnut aromas that only aging can provide.”

“Emerging like a genie from a bottle, so full of life and magic, the Bollinger R.D. 2008 unwinds gradually to reveal aromatic layer after layer of white peach, Meyer lemon confit, kumquat, wafer cookies, wet stones and acacia honey intermingling with bready and faintly oxidative, nutty notes. Medium to full-bodied and full of high-toned energy, the palate is wonderfully silky and lithe with a super fine, creamy mousse full of stimulating acid freshness, exquisite saline intensity, and a chalky finish with a beautiful citrus peel note. A blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, it was disgorged 09 December 2022 and finished Extra Brut with a three gram per liter dosage. As beautiful as it is now, it has many years of excellent drinking ahead.”

“Deep colour of shiny golden hues. With some six months of post-disgorgement time, this wine looks remarkably youthful, with its ripe, bright and expressive fruitiness. There is fresh apple and apricot alongside dried fruits and fruitcake complexity. The oaky notions are subtle, and oxidation is well under control. The sweet spiciness beautifully lines the aromatics. For a Bollinger R.D., the palate is rather lightweight, but it is beautifully fresh and vivacious. Its secret is rigorous selection and an unusually high proportion of crunchy Verzenay fruit (29%).The wine seems remarkably slow ageing, which is a fine surprise for the vintage. Disgorged 2/22; dosage 3g/l”

“Bollinger’s 2007 R.D. is superb, but it is also a wine that reflects the nature of a unique and challenging growing season. In most vintages the R.D. is marked by the distinct creaminess and breadth of Aÿ Pinot Noir. Two thousand seven, though, was a difficult year marked by very dry weather, rain at the end of the growing season and an early harvest in August, something that was not as common as it has become. Selection was essential. For the 2007, the blend is composed of just 14 villages compared to the more typical 18-25. Verzenay is the main Pinot component while Cramant plays the leading role in the Chardonnays. For these reasons, the 2007 is an R.D. driven by more focus, energy and tension than readers are used to seeing. Lemon confit, dried flowers, sage, mint, crushed rocks, almond and ginger are some of the aromas and flavors that give the 2007 its complex, multi-faceted personality.

The 2007 can be enjoyed now, but I would prefer to cellar it for a few years. It will age effortlessly for decades as it moves through the various phases of its life. I was reminded of the way Champagne can magically traverse time by magical bottles of the 1976 R.D. and 1996 Vieilles Vignes Françaises I tasted recently. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, 91% Grand Cru fruit and the rest Premier Cru. Bollinger fans will notice the return of the original label, with the disgorgement date clearly visible, a tribute to Madame Bollinger, who was a pioneer in so many ways. Disgorged: July 10, 2020. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.”

“Disgorged on July 10, 2020, with three grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's eagerly awaited 2007 Extra-Brut R. D. is beautiful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, citrus pith and white flowers mingled with hints of honey, orange oil, buttery pastry, English walnuts and delicately spicy bass notes. Full-bodied, vibrant and incisive, it's unusually elegant and structurally fine-boned for what is routinely one of Champagne's more muscular tête de cuvées, with a bright spine of acidity that's cloaked in vibrant, concentrated fruit, complemented by a pearly pinpoint mousse and concluding with an intensely sapid finish. Long and penetrating, this is a tightly coiled R. D. that will reward bottle age.

The fruit of an early harvest, beginning on September 1st, Bollinger's superb 2007 R. D. is an unusually delicate, fine-boned rendition of this habitually muscular cuvée. An additional seven years on the lees has brought additional textural and amplitude to the acid spine that was already evident in the 2007 Grande Année, and the slight loss of pressure during aging on cork makes for a more refined, pearly mousse that complements the wine's enhanced texture and amplified sapid nuance. Fermented in used oak cooperage, with tirage under natural cork and disgorgement without added sulfur dioxide (but now with jetting to ensure consistency), it's one of the few tête de cuvée bottlings still made very much as it was 40 years ago. While I don't tend to comment on packaging, Bollinger's decision to revive the tasteful aluminum label that graced this cuvée's debut 1952 rendition, when the redoubtable Madame Lilly Bollinger still presided over this house, does underscore what is a real and not merely superficial commitment to artisanal traditions.”

“Rich and mushroomy in Bollinger style on the nose with a notably dry finish. I think I might stand a good chance of identifying this wine blind…
Drink 2020–2028”

“A hint of hazelnut praline clings to the creamy notions on the nose, aligned to a pleasant smokiness and a hint of dark peony. More air adds notions of white pepper and toasted cumin. The palate is exquisitely creamy – the Bollinger hallmark – but with 2007 this texture is presented with exquisite poise. The bright freshness that underlies all this keeps a subtle but constant presence, lending structure. Beautiful depth lends a kind of solidity that anchors this in chalky soil, a class act and a very grown-up wine that says one thing only: enduring elegance.”

“Very, very different from the usual solid, powerful, broad Bollinger style. More rapier-like in approach with none of the density and mushroom notes that I usually associate with Bollinger. An unexpected style which may broaden perceptions of what this house can do. Crisp, mineral, the immediate effect was actually 'pretty' though with time in the glass it took on more weight. This reflects a little the Bollinger PN VZ15 exclusively from Verzenay with pretty marked acidity at this stage in its life. Refined with a bone-dry finish and a touch of quinine on the end. Should have a long life. Ideally I'd wait until mid 2021 before broaching this long-distance runner. With time in the opened bottle this took on more typical Bollinger weight and character.”

“Current vintage. Late, cold harvest started 27 September because of the size of the crop. TA 7.1 g/l. Tasted from bottle.
Pale greenish straw. Interesting pungent nose. Tight but not austere. Great spread of flavours. More expressive than magnum, perhaps because it’s warmer.”

“Disgorged November 2016. Tasted blind.
Big and round and almost peachy on the nose. Then dry and Bollinger-esque on the palate. Almost dried out on the end! Very apple-skin-like. 12%
Drink 2017-2024”

“Magnum: 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. Disgorged 20 November 2017. Dosage 3 g/l.
Quite different to the regular bottle, with much more autolytic character and riper fruit too with a sort of orange peel fruit. Has the same slight honeyed note and generous flinty note. Not the biggest in terms of sheer weight, but certainly packed full of flavour. (RH)”

“Bottle: Disgorged 20 November 2017. 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. Dosage 3 g/l.
Mid gold colour. Smoky hints on the nose. Creamy texture, salty. Ripe, slightly honeyed aromas. Brioche and baked apple. Moderate intensity on the palate, but there is good persistence and a touch of savoury salinity on the finish. Lovely honeysuckle and cream on the length. Still a long way to go, but superbly open already. Seems softer in acidity than the 2002. (RH)”

“One of my most exciting wine experiences was when I first tasted 1975 Bollinger RD with my parents at their home. During yesterday's Sunday afternoon, I served them the latest edition of 2004 blindly. The 82-year-old's reaction did not allow for a wait. Mom immediately exclaimed "the same wonderful scent of chocolate and apricot like when we drank Bollinger RD in the 80's". So right she was. When Bollinger decides to launch the newest vintage of RD, the wine must have its distinctive autolytic character of freshly baked bread, chocolate, hazelnut and mushroom. That is at least the thought. I would like to say that the last vintage in 2002 did not have these features at the launch at all, but instead relied on an almost grassy elegance and refined acid structure in an remaining youthful attire. With 2004 it is different. It's precisely like this Bollinger RD should taste from the beginning. Nobody can be disappointed here. Perhaps, 2004, is not one of the most heroic vintages but on the other hand one of the most classic. The very essence of the RD concept is to try to capture a wine's optimal maturity along with maximum freshness. Unfortunately, I do not think life expectancy is as good as in the La Grande Année version, but I may be wrong. The intensity of the mature layers of dark chocolate, tobacco, black truffles from Vaucluse and a melancholy hiking in the moist autumn forest is, at least, impressive. The mousse may struggle to reach the surface of the glycerol rich essence of wine. Nevertheless, it tingles of lust on the tongue when stringency, chalk and jingling pure acids dance over the finish line.”

“Disgorged 17 May 2017. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay (usually more like 30%).
Incredibly intense aromas – baked apple, cinnamon, freshly baked bread. Conventional and recognisably champagne, but to a greater, more intense degree. Some creamy coffee on the palate and wonderfully savoury salinity on the finish. Very, very long persistence. Champagne to the power of ten. (RH)”

“The most remarkable thing about the 2002 Extra Brut R.D. is how tense and structured it is. Despite having been disgorged over two years ago, the 2002 is very much tightly wound. After several hours, the power and resonance of the vintage start to come through, along with the natural richness of Pinot from Aÿ. Whereas most 2002 Champagnes are quite ripe in profile, the 2002 R.D. has plenty of depth, but it is depth through concentration as opposed to elevated ripeness. The low dosage style further adds to that sensation. Hints of chamomile, sage, dried flower and red fruits emerge over time, but only with reluctance. I would prefer to cellar the 2002 for at least a few years. If that is not possible, readers should open the wine at least a few hours in advance. Even so, the 2002's best drinking lies somewhere in the future. My sense is that the 2002 will be at its best between the ages of 20 and 30. Disgorged: September 11, 2015.”

“This 2013-disgorged bottle shows the super-ripe expression that has become RD’s calling card, with notable evolution in the colour and on the nose. A touch of oak on an upfront nose that comes with oxidative undertones on top of marmalade, cider and Christmas-cake fruit. There is quite the contrast between the sweet and age-mellowed nose and feisty palate”

“Current vintage. Disgorged January 2017. 40% Chardonnay (high for Bollinger). Extra Brut. Dosage 3 g/l.
Deep straw gold. Start of that woodland-mushroom Bollinger aroma. Masses of character. Not quite as tense as some 2002s – more Bollinger style with the dry overlay. Very, very Bollinger.
Drink 2017-2026”

“Disgorged October 2014. RS 4 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. From Bollinger's UK agent Mentzendorff.
Tasted blind. Dark gold. Mushrooms (a mature Bollinger trademark), savour and density with a dry finish. Definitely Bollinger RD. Some refinement too. Reminds me a little of a fine sake – umami?”

“Big names do not help if you are not familiar with a certain house style, and so I can understand everyone who dislikes Bollinger's 2002 RD Extra Brut, which at first sight reveals a matured if not an old wine displaying toffee, floral (hyacinths, narcissus, sage), vegetal and spicy aromas (oak, cannabis, frankincense, black bread) -- but almost no fruit (at least no fresh fruit). This wine was disgorged in March 2014, but just needs a lot of time in the glass to develop its complexity. On the palate this is a very pure, fresh, lively, firmly structured and almost ascetic wine with complexity, but almost no sensuality. Very distinctive style.”

“Expressive and richly textured Pinot Noir. Profound.
”

“Disgorged October 2014. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. RS 4 g/l.
Tasted blind. Pinkish gold. Very slightly oxidised but not dangerously so on the nose. Then great energy on the end. This is almost Krug-like in how complex and tight knit it is. Savoury. Impressive. Energetic. Unusually dry finish.”

“It has been a long wait for R.D. fans since the 1997 vintage, which was followed by only minuscule amounts of 1999 and 2000 coming in large formats only. Now there is a chance to celebrate 50 years of R.D. with the outstanding 2002 vintage. It is a bold, fresh and seamless vintage of R.D. with the higher than usual Chardonnay content bringing an extra layer of elegance. I enjoy the drive and linearity the wine has despite the huge concentration. The October 2013 disgorged bottle has been the best with super-stylish with its mineral restraint and autumnal. Apple and spice fruit profile with an under-control oxidative undertone. Perfected, super dry 3g/l dosage.”

“(Bottle) Tasted blind. Disgorged October 2014.
A little less fruity on the nose, as though it is a little evolved so seemed clearly from a bottle rather than a magnum - confirmed. Again very dry end.”

“(Magnum) Tasted blind. Disgorged October 2014.
Big and broad on the nose. With a hint of putty. Edge of cream-of-mushroom soup. Bone dry and even a little chewy on the end. It seemed as though it had to be a magnum and it was. ”

“Magnum. Lots of minerality on the nose and underlying fruit. Tense-issimo. Almost austere!”

“Light gold. Powerful, mineral-laced scents of orange zest, pear skin, iodine and chamomile, with a hint of anise in the background. On the palate, vibrant orchard and citrus fruit flavors unfurl slowly, picking up toasty lees and mace nuances that build on the back half. Sappy, tightly focused and stony, finishing with excellent thrust and building florality. This is showing an extremely youthful profile for its age and while I know that the received wisdom is that R.D. wines should be drunk soon after release, I'd let this one get some more years on it. ”

“Bollinger's 2002 R.D. is striking in its beauty. Silky and caressing on the palate, the 2002 impresses for its exceptional balance and harmony. In 2002 so many Champagnes are ripe and explosive in style, but the 2002 R.D. is quite restrained by comparison. Hints of apricot pit, smoke, almonds, spices and pears ring out on the super-finessed, inviting finish. The 2002 is going to be nearly impossible to resist in its youth, but it should also age impeccably. All the elements are in the right place.”

“Very firm, savoury nose with Bollinger's trademark fungi. Very powerfully so but with excellent acidity and lift on the palate. This is touted as a 50th anniversary offering because the first RD (Recently Disgorged) vintage released on the UK market was the 1952, in 1967 (so it was three years older than this 2002). It was launched at the same time as the 1953 on the French and Swiss markets and the 1955 on the American and Italian markets. A nod to British taste for seriously mature champagne? This wine should not be served too cool. It has real weight - though does not taste heavy. I loved it on first release as Grande Année and it is less austere now. A bit mellower and more open though still with the deep throat salve sensation on the finish.”

“Super fresh, this is striking given the 10 years in the cellars; it has a fine citrus nose - plenty of lemon, grapefruit, yellow chalky notes, some lighter floral elements too. The palate is super dry (dosage at 3-4g) and there's a silky, sherbet-like texture, smooth, fine and long. The citrus flavours give way to the driving surging acidity, thunderous acidity, really driving and powerful. The finish twists very slowly through to light-toasted cashew fruit flavours, but lemon citrus prevails. This is thrilling Champagne.”

“Deep gold. Just wonderfully complex, well-integrated nose. The very special quality of this wine just leapt out of the glass. Minerals and enormous depth. Great substance and delicacy too. Absolutely archetypal Bollinger: solid, dry, yet complex and ethereal on the nose. Masses of acidity – still tense. It would be a crime to drink this wine thoughtlessly at a reception; it really does demand concentration, and applause.
Disgorged 7 March 2011. Rainy, late season. 72% Pinot Noir. 17 villages. 66% grands crus. Yield 9,000 kg/ha, initial potential alcohol 9.2%, initial TA 9.4 g/l, pH 2.9, final TA 5.6 g/l, final alcohol 12.1%.”

“Mature and nutty in character, this 1988 exhibits a firm texture and an elegant stature, a fine backdrop for the roast coffee, hazelnut and citrus flavors. Dry style.”

“Classic Bollinger aromas of baked apple, toffee, coffee, nuts and brioche. Then superrich, highly concentrated and penetrating, with impressive chewy extract. Uncompromisingly dry and just beginning to unfold. Really saturates the palate. Remarkably young for a 12-year-old Champagne-but then the best '88s are evolving slowly. Finishes with superb length.”

“2008 is a remarkably slowly ageing vintage, thus it is laudable that Bollinger were able to lengthen RD's lees ageing from 12 to 14 years here. The house shifting to the narrow-necked new bottle shape in 2008 adds an element of interest to this launch from the super hyped harvest year. The layered nose shows cool restraint with sweet patisserie and roasted chestnut over yellow apple, lemon zest and crunchy yellow plum fruit. Over time in the glass the charred, tobacco and nutty notes get enhanced with sweet vanilla, dried apricot and apple compote tones. On the palate the wine is as vigorous and tight as ever, with a linear and racy body leading to a long, super saline finish. Compared to the earlier launched La Grande Année edition of the wine, there is more flesh on the bone, but the wine manages to keep its elegant crystalline transparency. No doubt the record-low 3g/L dosage contributes, as Bollinger wants to stay true to the wine. Many wondered about the short original release of La Grande Année, but Bollinger did wisely to keep back a large number of bottles for release as RD thanks to the wine’s colossal ageing capacity. Even today the wine is structurally super youthful, but aromatics are already beautifully enriched by fine charred, smoky and biscuity complexity. This RD is an age-defying beauty. Bottle disgorged 28.10.2022.”

“This beautifully sparkling 2008 is surprisingly light in colour, but will surely deepen towards more golden tones in the near future a little further from its fresh disgorgement date. The colossal and wonderful scent is of such dignity that words can never do it full justice. If I do try to describe this unique perfume, it is dominated by hazelnut cream from Piedmont, Domori chocolate from Venezuela, madeleine cookies, almond paste, wood sauna, gunpowder, grilled beef, duck liver, honeysuckle, mushroom cream, honey and nougat. It takes a long time in the glass before the fruit appears and at the same time the nutty and grilled aromas tone down a bit. The taste is vibrantly fresh while being rich and grilled nutty. Here, minerality and sea aromas such as iodine and oyster shells show up together with an apricot-like sublime fruitiness. After a fresh attack, my senses are left supremely satisfied with an exemplary long aftertaste of honey.”

“It was curious to see what an extra year of post-disgorgement ageing has done to this majestic cuvée since tasting it for last year’s Champagne report. This time, an October 2023-disgorged bottle was tasted. Beautifully complex nose, with pastry and baking-spice nuances over luscious apricotty fruitiness. The intensely fruity body marries well with the brisk acidity of the wine, leaving an overall impression of seamlessness and precision. This is very slow in its development, promising superb longevity. Dosage: 3g/l”

“Magnum - A notion of salty shortbread full of buttery richness opens the nose, followed by a citrus intensity of both lemon and fresh navel orange peel and rich hints of grilled hazelnut. More swirling brings out the telltale creaminess alongside overtones of rye bread and white pepper. The palate carries the serene sleekness and cool poise of 2008, but as the wine warms, Bollinger’s legendary creaminess comes to the fore, allowing glimpses of future glory with each little aromatic bubble burst. At first, nose and palate diverge, but with time and increasing temperature, the electric freshness and innate energy of 2008 converge with a pronounced saltiness and a more accessible richness. This will age more gracefully than any of us.”

“Following this wine’s evolution over the past few years has been a true pleasure. The October 25th 2023 disgorgement is wonderfully expressive, with seductive spicy sweetness and beautifully evolved dried fruit richness. On the palate, it is vinous yet refined, lifted by a brisk line of acidity that carries the wine to impressive length. This impeccable vintage of RD continues to shine with vitality. Disgorgement date:25/10/23. Dosage:3g/l.”

“Magnum - Bright in colour with gold reflections, the aromatics are immediately captivating, with marzipan, acacia, apricot and patisserie all vying for attention. It’s impossibly youthful yet reassuringly mature, a bread basket of delicious contradiction. Cerebral seduction ensues on the palate, with dried fruits, bergamot and lime joining the party, then come the hazelnut notes – which have been identified as a leitmotif for the vintage – and a clean, almost chalky finish to restore rigorous harmony. Precision in no way undermines generosity, and generosity in no way undermines potential. A very fine piece of work all in all, tasted from magnum, alongside bottle and jeroboam. Disgorged: November 2022. Dosage: 3g/L.”

“Emerging like a genie from a bottle, so full of life and magic, the Bollinger R.D. 2008 unwinds gradually to reveal aromatic layer after layer of white peach, Meyer lemon confit, kumquat, wafer cookies, wet stones and acacia honey intermingling with bready and faintly oxidative, nutty notes. Medium to full-bodied and full of high-toned energy, the palate is wonderfully silky and lithe with a super fine, creamy mousse full of stimulating acid freshness, exquisite saline intensity, and a chalky finish with a beautiful citrus peel note. A blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, it was disgorged 09 December 2022 and finished Extra Brut with a three gram per liter dosage. As beautiful as it is now, it has many years of excellent drinking ahead.”

“So many dried-apple, grapefruit and buttery-croissant aromas follow through to a full body with density and richness, showing baking spices and pie crust. Turns fresh and vivid at the end with incredible acidity that contrasts the ripe fruit and electrifies your palate. 71% pinot noir and 29% chardonnay. Disgorged October 2024. Drink now.”

“When I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage.”

“Disgorged in May 2021, the latest rendition of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of ripe orchard fruit, citrus oil and peach, mingled with hints of walnuts and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a generous core of fruit, lively acids and a pillowy mousse, it's seamless and complete, concluding with an expansive finish.”

“Refined nose with stylish restraint. Richness of spicy-earthy notes carefully intertwined to the lemon, apple pie, baked pear, cinnamon and vanilla tones. Super mild oxidative character beneath the intense fruitiness. Seamless structure on the generous palate. Long, mineral, dry finish. Built to last, so deserves additional post-disgorgement ageing. ”

“60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier. Bollinger don’t talk about which wine their non-vintage blends are based on because reserve wines constitute a good 50% of the blend. This was bottled in 2013 and disgorged in 2016 so 2012 is the youngest vintage. 150+ different wines in the blend. Maybe six or seven different vintages.
Very firm, Bollinger savoury style on the nose with a bone-dry finish and lots of chewiness. Dried apple-skin flavours. Really long. A fan of flavours on the end. Very distinctive.
Drink 2016-2020”

“Disgorged in May 2021, the latest rendition of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of ripe orchard fruit, citrus oil and peach, mingled with hints of walnuts and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a generous core of fruit, lively acids and a pillowy mousse, it's seamless and complete, concluding with an expansive finish.”

“The nuanced nose delivers orchard fruits layered with spice and yeastiness, and the fine, ripe concentrated fruitiness is well protected from oxidation. The very complex Bollinger blending recipe, including the laborious and costly use of long-aged reserve wines in magnums, results in something classy and seamless; this is a wine full of character. The bold, powerful palate has a fine silky texture and a stylishly mellow mousse, leaving room for the vinosity to build in the glass. This is a non-vintage that is worth maturing and is especially recommended in magnum. Dosage 8-9g/l”

“Refined nose with stylish restraint. Richness of spicy-earthy notes carefully intertwined to the lemon, apple pie, baked pear, cinnamon and vanilla tones. Super mild oxidative character beneath the intense fruitiness. Seamless structure on the generous palate. Long, mineral, dry finish. Built to last, so deserves additional post-disgorgement ageing. ”

“60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier. Bollinger don’t talk about which wine their non-vintage blends are based on because reserve wines constitute a good 50% of the blend. This was bottled in 2013 and disgorged in 2016 so 2012 is the youngest vintage. 150+ different wines in the blend. Maybe six or seven different vintages.
Very firm, Bollinger savoury style on the nose with a bone-dry finish and lots of chewiness. Dried apple-skin flavours. Really long. A fan of flavours on the end. Very distinctive.
Drink 2016-2020”

“Disgorged in May 2021, the latest rendition of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of ripe orchard fruit, citrus oil and peach, mingled with hints of walnuts and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a generous core of fruit, lively acids and a pillowy mousse, it's seamless and complete, concluding with an expansive finish.”

“The nuanced nose delivers orchard fruits layered with spice and yeastiness, and the fine, ripe concentrated fruitiness is well protected from oxidation. The very complex Bollinger blending recipe, including the laborious and costly use of long-aged reserve wines in magnums, results in something classy and seamless; this is a wine full of character. The bold, powerful palate has a fine silky texture and a stylishly mellow mousse, leaving room for the vinosity to build in the glass. This is a non-vintage that is worth maturing and is especially recommended in magnum. Dosage 8-9g/l”

“Refined nose with stylish restraint. Richness of spicy-earthy notes carefully intertwined to the lemon, apple pie, baked pear, cinnamon and vanilla tones. Super mild oxidative character beneath the intense fruitiness. Seamless structure on the generous palate. Long, mineral, dry finish. Built to last, so deserves additional post-disgorgement ageing. ”

“60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier. Bollinger don’t talk about which wine their non-vintage blends are based on because reserve wines constitute a good 50% of the blend. This was bottled in 2013 and disgorged in 2016 so 2012 is the youngest vintage. 150+ different wines in the blend. Maybe six or seven different vintages.
Very firm, Bollinger savoury style on the nose with a bone-dry finish and lots of chewiness. Dried apple-skin flavours. Really long. A fan of flavours on the end. Very distinctive.
Drink 2016-2020”

“After the broad, muscular 2012 and the incisive 2013, Bollinger's 2014 Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Françaises represents something of a middle ground, with its charming, suave profile and elegant bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, mandarin oil, praline and buttered toast. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and layered, with impressive depth and density for the vintage but also unusually immediacy for this cuvée, it will offer a broad drinking window. Produced from ungrafted Pinot Noir vines and fermented in old barrels, it represents the ne plus ultra of the Bollinger style.”

“How long will we be able to enjoy this treasure? You are well aware that the phylloxera louse can any day crawl under the gate and in a flash destroy the two fragile slabs of Clos Saint-Jacques and Clos Chaudes-Terres in Aÿ. This impermanence makes the wine even more treasured and unique, as if its stratospheric quality weren't reason enough to hold the world's finest Blanc de Noirs in high esteem. Tasted directly after the mellow La Côte aux Enfants from the same vintage, I was prepared for VVF to be beaten for the first time by its sibling wine from the same village. When I finished tasting it was clear that I had just tasted the perfect champagne in its style. The champagne combines the honeyed concentration of a Château d´Yquem with the buttery nutty power and sophisticated richness of a Montrachet from Comte Lafon. But my God, Juhlin, it's Pinot Noir. Yes, but the fabulous creation is more reminiscent of the mentioned wines than of a big red Burgundy this time. I don't really know why 2014 was so perfect for Bollinger. Perhaps one has become even more skilled at maneuvering all the details that give a perfect VVF, or does the old theory apply that naturally masculine Bollinger is often at its best in slightly lighter and elegant vintages? In any case, this is a colossal wine experience! The wine belongs to the small few who act with such self-evident weight that comments and comparisons feel redundant. The color is deep golden and the extremely small bubbles move slowly up through the glass. The bouquet is rich, dense and powerful like a rumbling thunderstorm in the distance. Filled with honey and hazelnut essence and screaming scent of honeysuckle. In the mouth you are met by an oily and creamy essence of dark fruit, 70% chocolate from Domori and licorice with the same grilled lemons and apricot marmalade I find in all Bollinger's wines from 2014. Monumental, long, dense and unreal wide like a parade street in Buenos Aires. Drink soon or wait ten years for the next phase. Just as with La Côte aux Enfants, there is a high risk of tunnel behavior for a few years. Right now pure happiness in a champagne glass.”

“The 2012 Vieilles Vignes Françaises is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. All the elements are impeccably balanced. Rich and creamy, but also wonderfully poised, the 2012 has so much to offer. Readers will find a Champagne of unparalleled elegance and finesse. Hints of apricot, dried flowers, chamomile, spice, mint and marzipan fill out the layers. I especially admire the finesse of the mousse in the 2012. The choice to pick a bit earlier than usual, given the warmth of the year and a naturally low crop, paid off big time. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. In a word: fabulous. ”

“Disgorged in March 2023 with six grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2012 Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Françaises is a powerful, multidimensional Champagne that pushes the house's vinous, Pinot Noir-driven style to the furthest. Offering up rich aromas of orange rind, mandarin oil, grilled peaches, dried fruits and pear mingled with notions of nutmeg, beeswax, smoke and buttered toast, it's full-bodied, broad and layered, with a deep, enveloping core endowed with extraordinary texture and concentration, its broad attack and mid-palate segueing into a long, resonant finish. If the 2013 vintage tended to tame some of the Vieilles Vignes Françaises's exuberance, the 2012 vintage leaves this cuvée untrammeled.”

“Tasted prerelease with Denis Bunner when he just decided to add 6 grams of sugar. I have never tasted such a freshly disgorged VVF before and was really surprised by its bright color and lively character. Even more, I was surprised by its aromatic spectrum which in many parts reminded me of Coche-Dury's most beautiful creations from Meursault. This VVF shared its high-intensity petroleum bouquet and a really ultra-strong grilled, nutty and powdery aroma. Imagine that a pure Pinot Noir can remind you so much of Chardonnay. Added to this enormous bouquet is a fabulous freshness and pure fresh fruit where floral, yes almost citrus notes dance together with the grilled notes. A different and absolutely fantastic VVF that may become more classic from a purely stylistic perspective over time, but today it stands out as both fantastic and personally unique. ”

“A wonderfully creamy, round blanc de blancs that has almond-blossom, white-flower, peach, brioche and pie-crust aromas. The bubbles are silky and soft. Elegant. 100% chardonnay.”