Bollinger - Special Vintage - Magnum
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.
Bollinger Spéciale Cuvée is a blend of Pinot Noir (60%), Chardonnay (25%) and Meunier (15%) , 85% of which comes from parcels classified as Grands and Premiers Crus. The majority is made up of reserve wines , some of which are kept in magnums for 5 to 15 years. Maturation in the cellar lasts twice as long as the rules of the appellation (minimum 15 months of ageing, including 12 months on the lees). The dosage is between 7 and 8 g/L .
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier + reserve wines