The Napa Valley Register columnist Allison Levine had the opportunity to speak with Valerie McDaniel, Champagne Bollinger U.S. Director, earlier in the month at the World of Pinot Noir event in Santa Barbara. Together, they discussed the history of the family owned House and Bollinger’s unwavering commitment to quality in everything they do in the vineyards and cellars – practices that are essentially non-existent anymore because of the amount of labor involved. The discussion continued over a tasting of the range, featuring Special Cuvée, Rosé, La Grande Année 2012, La Grande Année Rosé 2007 and La Côte aux Enfants 2014. Read more about the history and the tasting notes HERE.
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Champagne Bollinger
Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée NV
Champagne
Special Cuvée is a Champagne that defies category. Pinot Noir, the most demanding grape in the region, makes up at least 60 percent of the blend, giving structure, depth and signature red fruit. One-third is fermented in oak barrels, adding silkier texture and layered flavor. Reserve wines aged in magnums under cork for up to 15 years are hand disgorged into the blend, bringing richness and complexity. Aged much longer than most Champagnes, Special Cuvée offers freshness, savory nuance and velvety texture. It is a true expression of Bollinger’s devotion at every step.
Champagne Bollinger
Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2007
Champagne, France
Lily Bollinger agreed to a Bollinger rosé under one condition, it had to be extraordinary, and that is how La Grande Année Rosé was born. A blend like no other, the wine is as an extension to the House's prestige cuvée, La Grande Année, as is the subtle marriage between this great vintage Champagne and the addition of red wine from a unique plot, the legendary Côte aux Enfants.
Champagne Bollinger
Champagne Bollinger Rosé NV
Champagne, France
In the same way that Special Cuvée stands apart from non-vintage Champagnes, Bollinger Rosé is an exception for Rosé Champagnes. What is more, it is a relative secret, as Bollinger did not release a non-vintage Rosé until 2008 and the quantity produced is quite limited. The wine begins as Special Cuvée and then Bollinger's specialty as the Pinot Noir producer in Champagne takes center stage, as the red fruits that join the conversation dance vibrantly, the finish has just a hint of perfectly repeat tannin, and the deep complexity of the wine shines through transparently.
Champagne Bollinger
Champagne Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants 2014
Coteaux Champenois
A stunning and extremely rare, still red wine produced only for the greatest vintages. This wine harmoniously combines 100% Pinot Noir Grand Cru fruit from an exceptional vineyard with traditional Burgundian style winemaking. Historically, Pinot Noirs from Aÿ were the most popular wines of the French court, specifically a favorite of King Henri IV, and La Côte aux Enfants comes from a steep plot just outside of the village. This wine is the purest expression of Pinot Noir, offering a fine, delicate texture in the mouth, and a tautness giving it a beautifully long finish.
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Champagne Bollinger
Champagne, France
Bollinger is one of the rare Grande Marques that’s still family owned. Known for its rich, elegant and polished style of Champagne, their outstanding wines are the result of rigorous attention to detail and incredibly labor-intensive practices that few houses are willing to undertake. Underscoring its excellence, Bollinger has remained British secret agent James Bond's Champagne of choice since 1973.
