Champagne La Grande Annee AOC Millesime - Maison Bollinger
 
This Champagne, offered with its elegant case, says it all with its name. La Grande Année is a name of obvious simplicity, which however aims to underline the exceptional status of this wine as much as possible. At the Bollinger house only truly extraordinary vintages have the privilege of being vintage. The harvest turned out to be truly extraordinary, as are the Champagnes obtained with the grapes harvested that year. La Grande Année ferments in tonneaux and follows a period of aging in the cellar more than twice as long as required by the denomination's specifications. Even if it has already been said, it is worth repeating: it is an extraordinary Champagne.
 
Type: Champagne
Denomination: Champagne AOC
Origin: Champagne - France
Grape varieties: Pinot Noir 66% - Chardonnay 34%
Alcohol content: 12%
Format with box: 75cl - Magnum 150cl - Jéroboam 300cl
Allergens: Sulphites
Glass: Flûte
Serving temperature: 8 - 10°C
 
Tasting Notes: It presents itself with an elegant pink and antique gold appearance. It enchants the sense of smell with aromas that testify to the passage in tonneaux: toasted bread and grapes in brandy. It has new notes of exotic spices, rhubarb and stone fruits. There are hints of black cherry, currant and almonds. In the mouth it is very persistent and proves to have a notable structure, with the perlage that leaves the palate smooth and silky.
 
Pairings: Excellent with foie gras, grilled fish or pan-cooked in butter, shellfish or mature cheeses. Try it with roast lamb.
 
The Cellar: In Ay, one of the historic towns in the heart of the French Champagne region, is the Maison Bollinger, founded in 1829 by Athanase Louis Emmanuel, Count of Villermont, who chose to join forces with the German Joseph Bollinger and with the wine enthusiast Paul Ranaudin. Over the years, after having managed to successfully impose his own bubbles especially on the English and American markets, it was Joseph Bollinger himself who became the symbolic man of the Maison. Today universally recognized for the great quality of its wines, the winery, thanks to the privileged position of the owned vineyards and thanks also to a rigid production ethic, even sanctioned by written principles, has been established internationally for years. To give an example of the strict rules followed by the company, it will suffice to say that only the must coming from the first pressing is used for the production of Champagne, while everything obtained with the second pressing is sold to other wineries. Currently, the maison can count on a vineyard extension that covers over 160 hectares, most of which are divided between the Reims mountain and the Ay territory. More than half of the vineyards are classified as Grand Cru and the remaining part as Premier Cru. The vineyards are cultivated with meticulous care, so the plants grow in full respect of the environment and ecosystem. In addition to Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir is above all the vine around which the maison's blends revolve, which by expertly using the grapes of this vine, manages to give its Champagnes richness, vinosity and roundness. From Brut “Special Cuvée” to Extra Brut “R.D.”, from Rosé to vintage wines, in the historic aging cellars, made up of kilometers of tunnels, all Champagnes labeled Bollinger mature for three to eight years, much longer than required by the specifications , guaranteeing the perfect development of aromas and always expressing the maximum possible balance.