La Grande Année - 2012
Bollinger
- Region
- France » Champagne AOC
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, brut
- Producer
- Bollinger
- Vintage
- 2012
- Disgorged
- 2020-04
- On lees
- ~84 months
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
- Alcohol
- 12
- Sugar
- 8
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay.
21 crus: Mainly Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry for the Chardonnay.
Fermented entirely in barrels.
At Bollinger, only very high quality harvests become a vintage: the exceptional 2012 vintage led to Bollinger creating expressive wines that were simultaneously full, fresh and complex.
Maturation: Sealed with a natural cork and cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appellation.
Dosage: Moderate, 8 grammes per litre
To the eye: Its delicate colour and golden reflections are a sign of the wine’s maturity and Bollinger’s wine-making methods
To the nose: Full and expressive. Apricot, almond and hazelnut, followed by notes of honey and cereals intertwining in a symphony of aromas.
On the palate: Exceptional texture and structure. Dense, silky with a long finish.
Fresh and full with a delicious refined finish.
Bollinger
Ratings
Bollinger Dinner #3. At last, wonderful wine, rich and elegant. Flowers, toasts, yellow apple, yellow plum, oil and almond. Perfectly balanced, well structured with long chalky aftertaste. Love it.
Bollinger
Bollinger, a renowned French Champagne house, has been a symbol of luxury sparkling wines since its establishment in 1829 in Aÿ, France. Founded by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Renaudin, and Jacques Bollinger, it remains one of the few independent Champagne houses, continuously managed by the Bollinger family since 1889. Bollinger's uniqueness lies in its deep roots in the Champagne region, dating back to 1585 with the Hennequin family. This storied history, coupled with their commitment to maintaining family management and independence, sets them apart in an industry increasingly dominated by large conglomerates.
Over the years, Bollinger has built its vineyards at the heart of the finest crus in Champagne. Champagne Bollinger’s 179 hectares of vines are made up of 85% Grand and Premier crus and are farmed by teams of growers across 7 separate vineyards: Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois and Verzenay for pinot noir, around the Montagne de Reims, Cuis for chardonnay on the Côte des Blancs and Champvoisy for meunier in the Vallée de la Marne.
Another of Bollinger’s distinctive features are two plots, the Clos Saint-Jacques and Chaudes Terres, which have never succumbed to phylloxera. These ungrafted vines are entirely tended by hand and reproduced using a form of layering called provignage, thereby providing the means to preserve this extraordinary heritage from which the very exclusive Vieilles Vignes Françaises cuvée is produced.