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Champagne Bollinger

La Côte aux Enfants Champagne

Champagne, France

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Established by Jacques Bollinger between 1926 and 1934, La Côte aux Enfants is a steep hillside vineyard located on the outskirts of Aÿ. This unique parcel has been a source of endless fascination, producing some of the most highly prized Pinot Noir in the region. Aware of its potential, it became Champagne Bollinger’s ambition to produce a great vintage Champagne exclusively from this vineyard, with 100% Pinot Noir. The fruit comes from the north-west side of the hill, revealing a particularly refined expression of La Côte aux Enfants vineyard.

Vineyard

La Côte aux Enfants (the Children’s Hillside) was named after the steep slope of the plot from which it is made; legend has it that in bygone times only children were able to climb it. It is defined both by a high elevation but also by thin soils with about 12 inches of top soil above pure chalk, making the wine produced bright and chiseled. As part of the Ay village, it carries the mention “Ay Grand Cru” on the label. It is the third Blanc de Noirs produced by the house, alongside PN and Vieilles Vignes Françaises.

Winemaking

100% Pinot Noir Grand Cru, from the parcel of La Côte aux Enfants. Fermented entirely in aged oak barrels. Sealed with a natural cork and cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appellation. Low dosage, 4 grams per liter.

Vintage

This cool year culminated in sunny, settled weather that led many growers to compensate for the slow start by pushing their harvest dates right into October. This vintage is qualified by an excellent structure and welcoming acidity. A classic vintage, ideal for ageing.

Tasting Notes

To the nose, La Côte aux Enfants Champagne 2013 emanates aromas of mint and ripe fruit, rounded off with aromas of acacia honey and citrus fruit. On the palate, A lively and complex taste with wonderful acidity. Flavors such as lemon, ripe fruit and curry accompany candied red fruit and buttery notes.

Color

White

Grape Varieties

Pinot Noir

Appellation

Champagne, France

Farming

Since 2009, all vines grown on this vineyard plot are organically farmed.

Alcohol

12.5%

Suggested Retail Price

$1500

Reviews

95

"Heady, racy"

Vinous - July 5, 2023

"The 2013 La Côte aux Enfants is a rich, heady Champagne. Passion fruit, candied apricot, white flowers, vanillin, spice and tangerine oil all race across the palate. Deep and layered, with notable complexity, the 2013 is decidedly racy. Interestingly, the 2013 is much more expressive than the 2012 was at this stage. [...]. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. In just its second release, the La Côte aux Enfants seems headed in a very positive direction." - A.G. 6/23

 

99

"Hints of sweet strawberries

James Suckling - August 2, 2023

"Complex aromas of pie crust, iron, chalk and hints of sweet strawberries. Some ginseng. Full-bodied with very fine bubbles that give it tension and focus. Extremely fine and polished tannins that go on and on. Dried lemons and oranges. Chalk at the end. Hints of bitterness in the finish with subtle botanicals. Made from a single vineyard monopole of pure pinot noir." - 8/23

 

97

"Focused and powerful, sculpted"

Wine Spectator - September 22, 2023

"A vinous version, with subtle, savory hints of grilled herbs and tar on the nose, revealing a minerally underpinning to the palate's flavors of black currant, bread dough, saffron, crystallized honey and nuts as they ride the fine, raw silk–like mousse. Focused and powerful, sculpted and well-integrated, with firm acidity. Superlong finish." - 9/23

 

97

"Crisp peach, beeswax, mocha, warm spices and toasted nuts"

Wine Advocate - December 14, 2023

"While one might have expected the cool, northwest-facing part of this famed Aÿ vineyard to produce a rather unyielding wine in a vintage like this, Bollinger's brilliant 2013 Brut Blanc de Noirs La Côte Aux Enfants is actually easier to understand than the rather more reserved inaugural 2012 release. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of smoky orchard fruit, crisp peach, beeswax, mocha, warm spices and toasted nuts, it's full-bodied, taut and chiseled, with a deep and concentrated core of fruit, a beautifully refined pinpoint mousse and a long, electric finish. All the energy and cut that one could wish for is combined with the house's trademark vinous, complex style to deliver a wine of real character and élan." - 11/23

 

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2014 Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants and Vieilles Vignes Françaises: Black beauties

July 5, 2023 - The World of Fine Wine published an in depth feature on Champagne Bollinger, "2014 Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants and Vieilles Vignes Françaises: Black beauties" timed to the global release…

Trade Materials

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Champagne Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants Champagne Bottle Shot

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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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