Grape variety: 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay
Origin: Grands and Premiers Crus from La Montagne de Reims and La Côte des Blancs
Bollinger La Grande Année is much more than a simple vintage.It is the interpretation of an outstanding grape harvest, which resulted in a wine worthy of continuing the tradition of the Maison’s prestigious great vintages.
During these special years, grapes from Grands and Premiers Crus are vinified and the blend reveals a beautiful harmony that embodies the intuition felt at the moment of the grape harvest. La Grande Année develops a majestic vinosity, and intense, rich and complex aromas, whose tonality varies according to the nature of each vintage.
Tasting a bottle of La Grande Année will represent a rare and memorable experience for any wine connoisseur.
La Grande Année was fermented in small, aged oak barrels in order to avoid generating the taste of oak or tannins, and to ensure the wines fully express their aromatic complexity and aging potential. Wines of exceptional quality are therefore needed from the outset: grapes used in making La Grande Année vintages come from 100% Grands and Premiers Crus. After bottling, the second fermentation and cellar ageing are conducted under natural cork in order to protect them as much as possible from oxidation and preserve their freshness, as well as the bouquet and clarity of their aromas. The wines age in cellar for at least 6 years, sometimes more.
After manual riddling and disgorging, La Grande Année receives a low “dosage” (7 – 9 g/l) and then rests for a minimum of 3 months prior to shipment, time for the wine to assimilate the “dosage” and settle.
These wine-making methods, nowadays seldom used in Champagne, reflect both the Bollinger style and an absolute demand for the highest standards and quality regarding grapes and wines.
