The Bollinger Champagne House is located in Aÿ , in the Marne Valley in Champagne . The House (originally known as Renaudin-Bollinger & Cie) was founded in 1829. It passed through the generations of the Bollinger family until 2008 when, for the first time in its history, the president is from outside the family. Champagne Bollinger is still independently owned. The majority of the vines are located on Premier Cru and Grand Cru parcels and the house style is focused on Pinot Noir (60%), with Chardonnay and Meunier being used to enhance rather than dominate. Two-thirds of the grapes are grown on the estate, the rest coming from winegrowers with a long history with the house; all plots are vinified separately to allow each specific terroir to fully express itself. The house has a large portfolio of reserve wines which are kept under corks rather than the more traditional capsule. It is both time consuming and expensive, with some hand riddling and disgorging required, which is why the majority of Champagne houses do not follow this practice.
La Grande Année 2014 is a blend of Pinot Noir (61%) and Chardonnay (39%) from 19 crus, mainly in Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir and Chouilly and Oiry for the Chardonnay. Fermentation is carried out in small old oak barrels . After prolonged aging on the lees, the wine is stirred and disgorged manually. The dosage is 8 g/L .
Grapes: 61% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay