A delicate colour, with gold glints. On the nose, the wine opens with aromas of cherry stone, jam-infused fruit & dried fig. The rich, complex nose then develops towards toasted, baked notes, as well as aromas of elderflower & pear. A generous fruit palate is combined with mouth-watering vivacity & releases peach & apricot flavours in the mouth, enhanced with hazelnut & acacia blossom notes. It finishes with a wonderful lively aromatic note reminiscent of yuzu. Pair with tomato tartlet, risotto of Champagne lentils, veal sweetbreads with chestnuts, Langres cheese. PN VZ15 is a wine to be enjoyed by enthusiasts interested in the expression of Pinot Noir from across the Champagne region. To fully appreciate its unique style & aromas, PN VZ15 is best served between 8 & 10C. You can enjoy PN VZ15 now or leave it in the cellar to develop further. ...

Pinot Noir is the pillar of the Champagne Bollinger style, & the House has forged its reputation by showcasing this variety. The PN cuve aims to prolong the heritage & the legendary style Bollinger is renowned for. This VZ16 edition is the second interpretation from the new collection. Each year will see a new addition to the PN collection, exploring the Houses various terroirs in a different way. To the eye: A colour with golden undertones. To the nose: Opens with fruity notes of apple, rhubarb, quince & mirabelle plum. After a few moments, hazelnut aromas complement the aromatic palette. On the palate: A wonderful creamy effervescence yields to a delectable & expressive quality. Exotic flavours, with brioche & hints of stewed fruit, precede a saline finish. PN VZ16 is a wine to be enjoyed by enthusiasts interested in the expression of Pinot Noir from across the Champagne region. To fully appreciate its unique style & aromas, PN VZ16 is best served between 8 & 10C. You can enjoy PN VZ16 now or leave it in the cellar to develop further. ...

Limited stock, only 1 bottle left. R.D. stands for Recemment Degorge, (recently disgorged): Madame Bollinger created this legendary vintage in 1961, giving the world the opportunity to taste a champagne aged on lees for an exceptionally long time. Her great vision? Enabling knowledgeable wine connoisseurs to share a very special moment, when very recently disgorged wine is as fresh & aromatic as ever. It was a small revolution in the world of champagne... The daring Bollinger R.D. could only become James Bond's favourite champagne. superb deep colour. Intense light. To the nose is great depth, hints of cashew & honey, flavours of caramelised apple pie. Woods & mushroom fricassee aromas. To the palate are complex stone fruit aromas revealed by time. Notes of mocha, cocoa & truffle. Great structure. Since 1952, small parcels of certain vintages of La Grande Annee have been kept on the lees for extended ageing, & then released years later as this unique wine. The vintage is 1999, the 22nd edition of this great wine, & it is ready now. 63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay. 82% Grands Crus, 18% Premiers Crus. Only the very best among vintage champagnes become Bollinger R.D. 1999 was a magnificent year with hints of the 1970 & 1983 vintages. A very long maturation, more than three times longer than required by the appellation, for an infinite array of flavours: a true wine alchemy. Dosage: Very low: Extra Brut, 3 to 4 grams of sugar per litre. Intense, taut & full flavoured, with complex toasty notes & bright citrus freshness. There's also fine acidity, & notes of ripe apple, as well as some nectarine richness. Overall, though, this is a powerful wine with savoury bite, & the potential for further development. Wonderful stuff. 95/100. Jamie Goode, The Wine Anorak.com. ...

Candied fruit with sweet spice on the nose with hints of orange marmalade & mirabelle A full & harmonious palate with notes of tarte tatin & sauted fruit. Serve at 8C. Limited stock. ...

The Bollinger R.D. Experience: The contrast between a wonderful freshness & the exceptional aromas of an old vintage. An old vintage, disgorged shortly before its release, with a very low dosage the R.D. cuve embodies the audacity of Madame Bollinger, a wine ahead of its time. An extremely slim Champagne with a slightly buttery vanilla-like note as the top layer on above the dry notes of cocoa, hazelnut cream, dried apricots, blood orange & red juicy apples. An unusually fine-tuned classic. To the eye: Intense shimmers of gold. To the nose: Complex on the nose with aromas of honey & brioche. This is followed by a host of spices (ginger, cumin, caraway & more), before evolving into notes of mirabelle plum, dried apricot & fresh hazelnut. On the palate: A lively & clean opening that reveals notes of white plum, walnut & aniseed. Its freshness is beautiful & its tension incredible. Made with 14 crus: 91% Grands crus & 9% Premiers crus. ...

Following the harvest period, Bollinger's decisions on blending are not made before January. The blend for the Special Cuvee is an ideal version of the classic Champagne blend, using the different grapes of a given year from a variety of crus, with the addition of older, reserve wines. This blend necessarily incorporates subtle variations each year whilst remaining consistent to a style. It is, therefore, the hardest of all Bollinger to make. It contains the full expression of the Bollinger style & the House feels it should be judged on this
- its benchmark wine. The denomination Special Cuvee was created in 1911. The idea came from William Folks, then partner of the illustrious London House of Mentzendorff. This great wine lover felt it was an insult to simply call this great wine non vintage. The suggestion of naming it Special Cuvee was immediately approved by Monsieur Bollinger. A blend par excellence, the Special Cuvee is the purest expression of the Bollinger style; of its craftsmanship & its singular conception of what a champagne should be. It is, therefore, on this wine that the House of Bollinger shows how it is different from other Champagne Houses, asserts its qualitative policy & by which it asks to be judged. Madame Bollinger
- I drink it when I'm happy & when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry & drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it
- unless I'm thirsty.


...

Following the harvest period, Bollinger's decisions on blending are not made before January. The blend for the Special Cuvee is an ideal version of the classic Champagne blend, using the different grapes of a given year from a variety of crus, with the addition of older, reserve wines. This blend necessarily incorporates subtle variations each year whilst remaining consistent to a style. It is, therefore, the hardest of all Bollinger to make. It contains the full expression of the Bollinger style & the House feels it should be judged on this
- its benchmark wine. The denomination Special Cuvee was created in 1911. The idea came from William Folks, then partner of the illustrious London House of Mentzendorff. This great wine lover felt it was an insult to simply call this great wine non vintage. The suggestion of naming it Special Cuvee was immediately approved by Monsieur Bollinger. A blend par excellence, the Special Cuvee is the purest expression of the Bollinger style; of its craftsmanship & its singular conception of what a champagne should be. It is, therefore, on this wine that the House of Bollinger shows how it is different from other Champagne Houses, asserts its qualitative policy & by which it asks to be judged. Madame Bollinger
- I drink it when I'm happy & when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry & drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it
- unless I'm thirsty. Cool, delicate briochey nose. Nice, rich fruit with honeyed undertones, reserve wine richness & texture. Complex, classy. Anthony Rose Decanter Magazine, 1 January 2008. 60% Pinot Noir 25% Chardonnay 15% Pinot Meunier


...

Following the harvest period, Bollinger's decisions on blending are not made before January. The blend for the Special Cuvee is an ideal version of the classic Champagne blend, using the different grapes of a given year from a variety of crus, with the addition of older, reserve wines. This blend necessarily incorporates subtle variations each year whilst remaining consistent to a style. It is, therefore, the hardest of all Bollinger to make. It contains the full expression of the Bollinger style & the House feels it should be judged on this
- its benchmark wine. The denomination Special Cuvee was created in 1911. The idea came from William Folks, then partner of the illustrious London House of Mentzendorff. This great wine lover felt it was an insult to simply call this great wine non vintage. The suggestion of naming it Special Cuvee was immediately approved by Monsieur Bollinger. A blend par excellence, the Special Cuvee is the purest expression of the Bollinger style; of its craftsmanship & its singular conception of what a champagne should be. It is, therefore, on this wine that the House of Bollinger shows how it is different from other Champagne Houses, asserts its qualitative policy & by which it asks to be judged. Madame Bollinger
- I drink it when I'm happy & when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry & drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it
- unless I'm thirsty. 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier.


...

Following the harvest period, Bollinger's decisions on blending are not made before January. The blend for the Special Cuvee is an ideal version of the classic Champagne blend, using the different grapes of a given year from a variety of crus, with the addition of older, reserve wines. This blend necessarily incorporates subtle variations each year whilst remaining consistent to a style. It is, therefore, the hardest of all Bollinger to make. It contains the full expression of the Bollinger style & the House feels it should be judged on this
- its benchmark wine. The denomination Special Cuvee was created in 1911. The idea came from William Folks, then partner of the illustrious London House of Mentzendorff. This great wine lover felt it was an insult to simply call this great wine non vintage. The suggestion of naming it Special Cuvee was immediately approved by Monsieur Bollinger. A blend par excellence, the Special Cuvee is the purest expression of the Bollinger style; of its craftsmanship & its singular conception of what a champagne should be. It is, therefore, on this wine that the House of Bollinger shows how it is different from other Champagne Houses, asserts its qualitative policy & by which it asks to be judged. Madame Bollinger
- I drink it when I'm happy & when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry & drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it
- unless I'm thirsty. 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier.


...

Following the harvest period, Bollinger's decisions on blending are not made before January. The blend for the Special Cuvee is an ideal version of the classic Champagne blend, using the different grapes of a given year from a variety of crus, with the addition of older, reserve wines. This blend necessarily incorporates subtle variations each year whilst remaining consistent to a style. It is, therefore, the hardest of all Bollinger to make. It contains the full expression of the Bollinger style & the House feels it should be judged on this
- its benchmark wine. The denomination Special Cuvee was created in 1911. The idea came from William Folks, then partner of the illustrious London House of Mentzendorff. This great wine lover felt it was an insult to simply call this great wine non vintage. The suggestion of naming it Special Cuvee was immediately approved by Monsieur Bollinger. A blend par excellence, the Special Cuvee is the purest expression of the Bollinger style; of its craftsmanship & its singular conception of what a champagne should be. It is, therefore, on this wine that the House of Bollinger shows how it is different from other Champagne Houses, asserts its qualitative policy & by which it asks to be judged. Madame Bollinger
- I drink it when I'm happy & when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry & drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it
- unless I'm thirsty. 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier.


...