Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut Champagne 2014 750ml

PRODUCER NOTES:

OVERVIEW: “La Grande Année 2014 is an assembly of 19 crus, mostly in Aÿ and Verzenay for the 61% Pinot Noir and Chouilly and Oiry for the 39% Chardonnay. Fermentation takes place entirely in oak barrels and the wine is aged, sealed with a natural cork, for more than twice the time required by the appellation. Dosage is moderate, 8 grams per litre.”

TASTING: “TO THE EYE - Tinted with golden glints that reflect the wine’s maturity and Bollinger vinification techniques; TO THE NOSE - A precise and fruity nose with a slight scent of sea-air. Aromas of cherry and lemon mingle with quince and bergamot. Then notes of hazelnut and almond, peach and mirabelle plum complete this wine’s range of aromas; ON THE PALATE - The initial sensation is a fine and intense effervescence, followed by a wonderful vinosity, and then balanced with delicate acidity. Its very fine texture and sea-air finish bring excellent length on the palate, accompanied by a delicate minerality and the complex flavours of orchard fruit and citrus. This wine unfurls gradually, revealing its full potential and intensity.”

CRITICAL ACCLAIM:

“The Bollinger 2014 is everything I expected; bright, focused and full of all the energy this late-ripening vintage conferred to the best wines.” - 98 PTS, ANTONIO GALLONI, VINOUS MEDIA (02/2023)

“With the hallmark Bollinger richness that is derived from fermentation in wood and a high percentage of Pinot Noir in the blend, this grand wine is ripe, full of apple and spice flavors. It is drinkable now, but still young.” - 97 PTS, #5 RANKING - TOP 100, CELLAR SELECTION, WINE ENTHUSIAST (09/2022)

“Racy acidity drives this mouthwatering Champagne, enlivening the rich panoply of flavors. Features a fine and creamy mousse that's still a lively springboard for aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, glazed tangerine, roasted hazelnut, ground coffee, pickled ginger and white blossoms. Long and satiny, with minerally salt and chalk notes gaining momentum on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.” - 97 PTS, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, WINE SPECTATOR (06/2022)

"Offering up complex aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, frangipane, walnuts, dried white flowers and subtle hints of iodine, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année is medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit that's underpinned by racy acids and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, chalky finish, this is a charming but precise Grande Année that's more giving and demonstrative than its immediate predecessor, the 2012, but which attains a very similar level of quality in a more challenging vintage—testimony to the serious viticulture that underpins Bollinger's contemporary excellence." - 95 PTS, WILLIAM  KELLEY, THE WINE ADVOCATE (03/2022)