Bollinger La Grande Annee

In the glass

Aroma: sea breeze, oyster shell, iodine, gunpowder smoke, hazelnut, orange citrus

Palate: peach, mirabelle plum, fine vanilla, fresh cep, medium-bodied

Bollinger's barrel-fermented vintage cuvee: a marine nose of sea breeze, oyster shell and gunpowder smoke over hazelnut, with orchard fruit and fine vanilla on a savoury palate.

What it pairs with

• Lobster Find lobster on TableJourney →
  Marine, iodine notes meet sweet shellfish.
• Roast pheasant
  Smoky, savoury depth frames game birds.
• Comte aged 36 months
  Hazelnut and vanilla echo the cheese's depth.

How to serve Bollinger La Grande Annee

Allow 5 minutes from open to pour.

1. Open and pour. Open and pour directly. No decanting required for this style.
2. Serve at 6-8°C. Cellar temperature (6-8°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
3. Glassware. Use a tulip flute. A tulip shape rewards the bouquet better than a narrow flute and frames the wine's structure.
4. Pair with. Lobster, Roast pheasant, Comte aged 36 months. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Bollinger's prestige vintage wine, fully fermented in old oak casks, takes its name from the great years it is made in; the 1921 is regarded as an early benchmark.

1. 1921 — Early benchmark vintage of the barrel-fermented prestige wine
2. 1967 — La Grande Annee name standardised for the vintage cuvee

Facts

Producer

Champagne Bollinger

Grapes

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Classification

AOC Champagne

Oak

Entirely barrel-fermented in old oak; long lees ageing under cork

ABV

12.0%

Price

EUR 110 to 160 at retail

Drinking window

8 to 30 from vintage

First vintage

1921

Scores

• Vinous 95 (2014 vintage, reviewed 2023)

Frequently asked about Bollinger La Grande Annee

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