La Grande Année Magnum - 1997
Bollinger
- Region
- France » Champagne AOC
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, brut
- Producer
- Bollinger
- Vintage
- 1997
- Disgorged
- 2006-09
- On lees
- >96 months
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
- Alcohol
- 12
- Volume
- 1500 mL
- Cellar
- not available
This blend consists of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay, with 75% of the grapes sourced from Grands Crus vineyards and the remaining 25% from Premiers Crus.
Ratings
This bottle, more developed in bouquet compared to the 2000 vintage, surprisingly offers a fresher palate. The aromas are rich with aged bái mǔdān cake, plenty of bruised apple, wet cellar, mushrooms, cider, caramel, lemon candy, nuts, and butter. The freshness is striking, supported by good acidity. The perlage is particularly noteworthy for its power. Overall, the wine is delicate, complex, multilayered, and delicious.
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.