Bollinger Grande Année 1996 (Sparkling Rosé)

"Before being a great Champagne, Bollinger is first and foremost a great wine". It is undeniable, a Bollinger spirit actually exists. In the wines certainly, but also in Aÿ. The involvement and seriousness of the people involved in the design of these great wines closely contribute to their success. Bollinger is also one of the few rare Champagne houses to have remained as a family since its creation in 1829. The maison was founded by Athanase de Villermont who had inherited the vineyard of Champagne, Joseph Bollinger, a German merchant and Paul Renaudin, a Champenois who was passionate about wine. The Bollinger and Villermont families united their fate at the same time as their profession with Joseph Bollinger's marriage to Louise-Charlotte, Athanase's daughter. Their children would take over the rein. There is a 163-hectare vineyard located, for more than 80%, in grands and premiers crus, and providing over 60% of its needs in grapes. One of the interesting facts about this maison is the preponderance of Pinot Noir which gives great flavour and strength to the champagnes. Another particularity of the maison is that part of the fermented reserve wines in wood is then conserved in magnums, with cork stoppers, for 5 to 12 years before being incorporated into the whole. Finally, on the management side, in September 2007, Ghislain de Mongolfier handed over the reins to Jérôme Philipon who followed in his footsteps while emulating his style. This all went well and there is no doubt that the brand continues to shine in the starry sky of Champagne.

The finished result of the Grande Année cuvée bears all the hallmarks of Bollinger's exemplary style. Majestically vinous, with intense, complex aromas, this blend of grand crus and premier crus definitively places this wine among the greats. Structure, power, finesse… it has everything. As always with Bollinger, the exception proves the rule, and the customised approach predominates: vinification in small old oak barrels, secondary fermentation and slow maturation in the cellar under cork (to preserve the wine better from oxidation), and maturation on the lees for at least six years. Painstaking work, but the result is one of the legends of Champagne.

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