Bollinger Delivers The 2015 La Grande Année Collection
Bollinger delivers the 2015 La Grande Année collection with pinot noir to the fore.
Related articles
Bollinger stands apart as a top example of what a non-vintage Champagne should be. But when the Maison releases not one but two (!) of its rare vintage stablemates, there’s always cause for excitement. As the name suggests, La Grande Année (or LGA) is only released in very great years. From the 2015 vintage comes both a white and rosé edition and both are delicious, gastronomic wines that beautifully show off a predominance of pinot noir.
The flavour profile is layered, and their complexity reflects both the elegance and long-ageing qualities of Pinot Noir as well as a challenging year in the vineyard.
2015 was one of the hottest years ever recorded in Champagne, with crop yields lower than usual. The vines developed only tiny berries after bud burst, followed by a June and July that were dangerously dry. Vintage was fair regarding flavour and phenolics, but many growers feared the impact of heat stress and decided to pick grapes early. Bollinger, on the other hand, held back.
“It paid to wait,” says Bollinger’s chef de cave Denis Bunner, reflecting on the hand harvest his team commenced nine years ago. “Uplifted by maturation in wooden casks, this Champagne reveals the characteristics of an exceptional year,” Bunner says, in his serious and typically, scientific style. “2015 expresses more of the soul of a Bollinger millésimé than any other year. More opulent, more powerful, it exalts Pinot Noir.”
In particular, the 2015 La Grande Année Rosé is made up of 11 crus, predominantly 62 percent of Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and 38 percent of Chardonnay from Chouilly and Avize. The blend also includes 5 percent of red wine from the legendary La Côte aux Enfants parcel—a treasured part of the family-owned Bollinger estate in Äy. This red wine comes from a steep hill just on the outskirts of Aÿ and is made in the Burgundian style, aged in small oak barrels. It is only produced when the maturation of the grapes is considered exceptional.The resulting rosé Champagne has an exquisite chewy texture, red cherry fruit purity and a long, memorable finish.
The blanc version is also layered and moreish, with great structure. It is slightly less vinous than the rosé and has a more chalky and creamy mouthfeel. Similarly the La Grande Année 2015 is a blend of 11 crus, predominantly 60 percent of Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and 40 percent of Chardonnay from Chouilly and Avize. Fermentation takes place entirely in oak barrels and the wine is aged, sealed with a natural cork, for more than twice the time required by the appellation.
These refined Bollinger examples from the ’15 vintage both cry out to be paired with rich and gamey dishes. The rosé is a perfect match with starters like grilled foie gras or duck liver paté and can even handle the rich fragrance of roasted lamb served rare. Given its firm acidity and powerful structure, the La Grande Année Rosé would even match the spicy undertones of Peking duck or Char Siu pork.
True to the classic house style, both new releases will make the house proud. They exhibit the expected Bollinger savoir-faire but also bravery and tension that’s in perfect balance.
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Recommended for you
Face Time: L.Raphael in Geneva
No trip to Geneva is complete without a stop at L. Raphael, the world’s leading clinic —especially, these days, for men.
June 25, 2024
Sí Change: In Mexico, Life Begins At Forty Winks
Beware, the arch-enemy of the gringo nana-napper.
June 25, 2024