As mentioned above, PNVZ15 contains 20% reserve wine that has been aged in Bollinger’s cellars in magnums – a practice unique to the house – which is higher than the Special Cuvée NV, which uses 5% of this component. Future releases in the PN range will follow the same philosophy set by Gilles using the 2015 base wines – after each harvest there will be a blind tasting contest for the best expression of Pinot Noir.

It is, however, a pure Pinot Noir fizz – otherwise known as a blanc de noirs, even though it doesn’t say this on the label. Since its foundation in 1829, Champagne Bollinger has been producing great Champagnes with a powerful, sophisticated and complex style. Champagne Bollinger has a family history in Champagne of over 180 years and is the custodian of a patiently established heritage during the decades. A Champagne house with a venerable history and tradition, it is now run by the great-great-grandson of the founder Joseph Bollinger, thus retaining the family ownership and legacy. It is one of the relatively few independent, family-owned Champagne houses remaining. Aside from making great champagne, Bollinger is best known for its association with the James Bond movie franchise as the favourite bubbly of Britain's most famous fictional secret agent. Bollinger ages their non-vintage wines three years and the vintage wines five to eight years. Champagnes are riddled by hand. You can always count on Bollinger Special Cuvee to exude fruit, spice and nut-like qualities, all topped with a fine mousse that refreshes and delights the palate when you want to impress a dinner guest or offer a special gift. How do you give Champagne as a gift? It employs 80% grapes from Bollinger’s own vineyards, which now amount to 178 hectares (increasing at a rate of 2-4ha annually), and the 2015 base wine has been 50% vinified in barrels (compared to 15% for Bollinger Special Cuvée). Renowned for consistently fantastic quality, Bollinger Special Cuvée is an elegant champagne that is sure to make your evening special. This champagne house has been refining their techniques since 1829, using the unique chalky soil of their vineyards to produce high quality Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Known affectionately in the UK as "Bolly", this brand has become a firm favourite and is sure to bring a touch of class to every occasion. The Gift of Good TasteAlthough de Belenet did not want to reveal production figures for the new Champagne to db, he did say that the pure Pinot cuvée was the same size as Bollinger Grand Année – the vintage prestige cuvée expression from the house. of the harvest is fermented in oak barrels, making the finished wines well-suited to extended ageing and contributing body and depth of flavour. There are only two types of blends produced, both pinot noir-dominated: the non-vintage Special Cuvée is the expression of the Bollinger house style, while the vintage-dated Grande Année, produced only in exceptional years, is designed to express the inherent character of the vintage. R.D (Recently Disgorged) is the same blend as Grande Année, kept on its lees and disgorged much later. Bollinger Champagne is available at The Champagne Company and began with Joseph Bollinger in 1822 who took up employment with Müller-Ruinart, but later joined forces with Paul Renaudin and the Comte de Villermont to form Renaudin, Bollinger Co in 1829. The Bollinger vineyard estate has 152 hectares of vineyards in the heart of the Champagne area in the grand crus and premiers crus with a style derived from Pinot Noir grapes; grown in the very best grand crus of Ay, Bouzy and Verzenay. Bollinger recently bought Ayala Champagne in 2005.

In some Champagnes the dégorgement is delayed, sometimes for years, to increase the depth and complexity of the flavours through more time spent on the lees. After topping up (dosage) with a little more wine and sugar (known as liqueur d'expédition), the bottle is sealed. The starting point was to create a little brother of Vieilles Vignes Françaises, because the quantity is very limited and the price is very high,” said de Belenet.

Bollinger Rose Champagne Magnum 150cl

Elisabeth Bollinger was also passionately involved with the House’s destiny. She was only 42 when she lost her husband at the height of the war; without hesitation and with great dignity she stepped in and threw herself heart and soul into her new role. And the person who crafted it was the man who instigated the contest: chef de cave Gilles Descôtes. The brief was to be 100% Pinot Noir, and to be non-vintage to have enough volume to be a permanent addition in the range,” he continued, before stating, “And it had to be fully enjoyable right now.” of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced. Champagne Bollinger owns an impressive 178 hectares of vineyards, of which 85% are in Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. Their land is spread over seven main villages: Aÿ, Avenay, Louvois, Tauxières and Verzenay planted with Pinot Noir; Cuis with Chardonnay; and Champvoisy with Meunier. Bollinger are one of the few Houses to produce the majority of their own grapes for their blends. Pinot Noir represents 60% of the House's vineyards and defines the House style: complex and powerful with remarkable structure. In 2012 Champagne Bollinger was certified High Environment Value (HEV) this certification rewards a number of environmental procedures implemented at the Maison.

Gilles Descôtes had a crazy idea in 2015: he organised a contest for the wine committee team to produce the best Pinot Noir, with the winner becoming a new cuvée,” recorded de Belenet. Champagne sweetness: Champagnes, on the whole, are less sweet than they were 100 years ago, mainly as a result of consumer demand. Brut is by far the most common style.Only by descending into the subterranean world of the cellars can we fully grasp the importance of time at Bollinger. Firstly, because all the wines