Vintage Champagne

For Champagne Bollinger the 2008 harvest resulted in a wine of infinite depth. The remarkable maturity of the grapes combined with exceptional acidity resulted in the creation of a cuvée that exalts the House’s style. La Grande Année is the embodiment of the carefully preserved traditional expertise of the Bollinger Champagne House. The wine is therefore exclusively vinified in small aged oak barrels. Champagne Bollinger has never abandoned this traditional craft method, which helps develop aromas of great finesse. After a prolonged ageing on its lees, even today every bottle of La Grande Année is riddled and disgorged by hand. In 2008, the remarkable maturity of the grapes combined with a phenomenal acidity have produced a wine of infinite depth and allowed an exceptional vintage to be created.

Predominantly from Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs, the Pinots Noirs and Chardonnays complement each other to offer a blend with a rare balance, one that perfectly combines the concentration and freshness of this vintage. It has taken more than ten years to reveal the full quality of the vintage and perfect the unique expression of La Grande Année 2008 in an intense, complex and harmonious wine. The intensity, a sign of the great aromatic richness of this wine, is expressed and lingers through the aromas of citrus and soft fruits, berries and spices, floral and mineral notes...

Its long finish, structure and density are hallmarks of the great Pinots Noirs of Aÿ and Verzenay, the true backbone of the wine. Reflections of the unique characteristics of 2008, its complexity and it’s extremely fresh texture bestow a remarkable depth and vitality on this wine. Its chalky, precise finish prolongs the tasting experience for several minutes.

The palate is characteristic of Louis Roederer’s vintages: the attack is ample and dense; a rich and winey fullness is refined by the sweetness, acidity and tight blend of the Pinot noir grapes of Verzenay. The ensemble is perfectly integrated into a subtle texture. Tasting reveals sparkling suggestions of candied fruits, almond paste, toast, white chocolate, and caramel.

• a brilliant light yellow
• a fine, jewel-like bead

• fruity notes of white peach, lemon, pineapple, green banana and pear
• floral, botanical scents of mock-orange, herbal tea and honeysuckle
• spicier, sweeter nuances of pepper, brown sugar, marzipan and candied melon

• straightforward yet complex, with a sleek, pure savour leading into a long, languorously rich finish
• a light, lively, supple structure with mineral overtones
• bracing, refreshing notes of rhubarb and grapefruit with a touch of mint