Viticulture and Vinification

Today Bollinger owns a total of 163 hectares of premier cru and grand cru vineyards. These vineyards supply more than 60% of its total production with purchased fruit making up the remainder.

Bollinger Special Cuvée - Usually comprised of 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, a percentage of the grapes are fermented in oak barrels during primary fermentation. The final cuvée is constructed from equal parts of the most recent vintage and wine from the vintage two years prior. The remainder of the blend is comprised of 5-10% reserve wine which is pulled from Bollinger’s expansive cellars.

The reserve wines used for blending have been completely fermented in oak barrels and then stored in magnums, something which is unique in Champagne. Each year Bollinger pulls between 80 and 100 thousand magnums from its cellars for the blend, replacing them with a similar amount from the current vintage. Once assembled, the NV Special Cuvée is aged on its lees for a minimum of 3 years before disgorgement.

Bollinger Rosé -The addition of 5% still red wine gives Bollinger Rosé its distinctive colour. Grapes for the added red wine come from Bollinger’s own grand cru vineyards in Aÿ and Verzenay. The rest of the vinification is the same as for the NV Special Cuvée.

Bollinger La Grande Année - This wine is only made in exceptional vintages. The first fermentation is conducted entirely in oak barrels and 100% of the grapes come from grand cru and premier cru vineyards. The Champagne is then aged on its lees for 5-8 years before release.

Bollinger R.D. (Recently Disgorged) - Essentially a Grand Année that has been aged on its lees for an extended period (beyond the 5 to 8 years that the Grand Année undergoes) to further develop its complexity. Disgorgement is also closer to the release date than it is for the Grand Année.

Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Française - A 100% Pinot Noir, blanc de noirs which is only made in outstanding years. The wine is produced from two small, walled parcels of vines which are planted in the traditional ‘en foule’ spacing and trained up posts. These vines yield very little fruit, which is the reason why this particular Champagne is so rare.

Bollinger Aÿ Rouge, Côte aux Enfants - A still red wine that is made from a tiny (less than 1 hectare) grand cru vineyard in Aÿ known as La Côte aux Enfants. It is a 100% Pinot Noir cuvee and is made from the same still wine which is used to give Bollinger Rosé its colour. It is produced under the Coteaux Champenois appellation designation and only the free run juice is used. After fermentation the wine is aged in 3-5 year old oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years before release.

Varieties

• Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay

Wines produced:

• Bollinger Special Cuvée
• Bollinger Rosé
• Bollinger La Grande Année
• Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé
• Bollinger R.D.
• Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaise
• Bollinger Aÿ Rouge, Côte aux Enfants