Champagne Bollinger - Brut Grande Année 2007

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A very wine-forward style, perfect for the table; a great vintage that is ultimately very classic in the winery’s traditional style.

About the estate:

A grand, traditional Champagne house established in Aÿ since 1829, Bollinger remains at the pinnacle of Champagne. Its 178 hectares of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards provide 60% of its supply. All of the vintage wines are vinified in barrels, as is a small portion of the house's multi-vintage Brut, the Special Cuvée. This Special Cuvée benefits from a significant proportion of reserve wines aged in magnums, ensuring unparalleled precision in the blends. In recent years, the house has created exciting new cuvées: a Blanc de Noirs from Aÿ, made from grapes grown in the Côte aux Enfants vineyard, which also produces a superb Coteaux Champenois. And Pinot Noir cuvées whose names derive from the dominant cru in the blend, which varies each year. All of the house's wines shine at the table.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

“A perfect nose, in my opinion!” wrote one taster after taking a whiff of this pale gold champagne with its fine, persistent effervescence. The jury praised the clarity and intensity of its aromas of ripe fruit, dried fruit, and toasted notes. Perfectly balanced, the palate captivates with the delicacy of its flavors, which are both ripe and fresh. The woodiness, perceptible yet perfectly integrated, contributes to the sense of harmony that this wine exudes.

About the estate:

A renowned winery founded in 1829 by Joseph Bollinger, a merchant from Württemberg, it has remained family-owned, although since 2008 it has been headed by someone outside the family (Charles-Armand de Belenet since 2017). Boasting 179 hectares of vineyards, predominantly planted with Pinot Noir (60%), and an on-site cooperage, the winery is committed to maintaining its distinctive style, based on skillful blending of wines vinified separately in oak barrels (reclaimed to avoid overpowering oak) and in small tanks. Reserve wines are aged in magnums under a light mousse. Bottling takes place under cork stoppers, and the wines benefit from extended aging on their lees. Gilles Descôtes, who joined the company in 2003, succeeded six cellar masters in 2013.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Disgorged in March 2017, Bollinger’s 2007 Grande Année is brilliant, offering a superb bouquet of lemon oil, candied citrus, marzipan, iodine, nuts, and freshly baked bread. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, with broad shoulders and power in an otherwise often slender vintage. Excellent concentration, a deep, tight body, and a precise, chalky finish.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

It is beginning to develop, with a smooth, creamy, and well-rounded palate. Nice finish.

About the estate:

If there's one brand with a strong personality and a highly recognizable style, it's Bollinger. This family-owned house in Aÿ produces wines predominantly made from Pinot Noir, wines that are vinous, profound, and subtly aged. Bollinger's history is incredibly rich. A benchmark house, always at the forefront of innovation. The quality of older vintages testifies to this commitment to excellence, passed down from generation to generation. The character and vinosity of these gastronomic champagnes remain exemplary.

Wine Spectator

Jancis Robinson

Vinous

James Suckling

Jeb Dunnuck