La Grande Année is Bollinger’s Prestige Cuvée and is only produced in exceptional vintages, usually from around 70% Pinot Noir from exclusively Grand and Premier Cru sites. The base wines are fermented and aged entirely in small oak barrels, riddled and disgorged by hand and sealed with natural cork, giving the wines a distinctly rich and full flavoured style which is uniquely recognisable as Bollinger. Priced comfortably below the latest releases from Krug, Dom Perignon, Salon, Cristal, Taittinger etc, it must surely be the best value of all of Champagne’s Prestige Cuvees, and always sees huge deman on release.
 
2015 was a hot vintage – many other houses found the conditions too harsh and did not release a 2015, but at Bollinger, they embrace a richer style, and their experience is second to none when it comes to marrying richness with freshness and elegance. 2015 La Grande Annee is a pale straw colour in the glass – the nose jumps right out as soon as it hits the glass, with citrus, honeysuckle, stone fruits and toasty notes, which follow through to a rich and complex but silky soft palate, buttery and nutty with some golden apple, all in Bollinger’s signature rich, highly drinkable and moreish style. It's really rather delicious already, but would definitely reward those who can wait a few years, and should drink well for 20 or more.
 
La Grande Annee 2015 is made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay (just like the 2002), sourced from 11 different Crus - the Pinot Noir came predominantly from the northern Montagne de Reims in order to uphold freshness: 26% Verzenay, 21% Aÿ, 8% Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, 5% Verzy. For the 40% Chardonnay: 8% Avize, 8% Chouilly, 7% Cuis and 3.5% Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for their minerality and freshness, contrasting with the richness of 5% Cramant and 6% Oiry.
 
Chief Winemaker Denis Bunner said: “We needed ripeness and maturity, without being too oxidative, heavy, harsh or astringent, so we worked very carefully on the oxygen management in barrels to uphold freshness and balance. We started measuring the volume of the berries to observe the effect of hydraulic stress and we had 30% less volume per berry, 0.9mL per berry compared with 1.2mL typically, and this had a big effect on the pressing, so it was important this year to take our time with pressing so as not to extract too much phenolic and tannin and to keep the pH low, thus avoiding astringency on the palate. The density of pinot noir remains the signature of Bollinger, giving vinosity and density to the wine, which is important for the Bollinger style, and a contrast to the tension of La Grande Année 2014 and B13. Texture and fleshiness is a key to the 2015 vintage, with a creaminess enhanced with ageing under cork compared with trials of tirage under crown cap. 2015 could have been the same profile as 2005 but I compare it more closely with 1989 and 1976, and a little 2003 in its tropical fruit nuances. We had to manage the vegetal notes in 2015 very carefully in being very precise with our small ferments, which made it easy to separate plots”

N.B. This wine is not currently in stock but can be ordered, usually for delivery within a few weeks -  please email info@cellarselect.co.uk for availability and lead time, or it will be confirmed after an order is placed.