Winemaker Notes
Notes of honey, quince and candied citrus. Aromas of marzipan and blood orange compliment a nose full of sweet spices and a refreshing hint of menthol. Serious, understated and rich, this wine is beautifully expansive with a finish full of citrus which enhances the freshness.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Based on the 2018 vintage, complemented by reserve wines aged in magnum dating back to 2009, Bollinger's newly released NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN AYC18 was disgorged this year with six grams per liter dosage. Foregrounding the village of Aÿ, a commune crucial to Bollinger's distinctive style, the wine wafts from the glass with aromas of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, buttered toast, freshly baked bread and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an ample core of fruit that's girdled by lively acids and animated by an elegant pinpoint mousse, this suave, charming Champagne concludes with a chalky finish. This has turned out beautifully.
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Decanter
The fourth edition of Bollinger's limited PN series is the most expressive yet, with a hugely satisfying, expansive character. Dried pear, stewed Bramley apple and nectarine melt into the depths of reserve wine complexity, with chestnut honey and perfectly pitched savoury interest. It's surprisingly silky, the texture surprisingly weightless, the shape rounded and cushioned rather than strict or driving. A highly rewarding Champagne, ready to drink but with interesting potential to evolve over the next five years. 100% Pinot Noir, predominantly from Aÿ, with support from the villages of Tauxières and Verzenay. Based on the 2018 vintage, with 50% reserve wines back to 2009.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Including the 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2009 vintage, the pale straw-copper hued NV Champagne PN AYC18 opens with stunning notes of jasmine and tropical flowers, followed by pure and expressive aromas of wild cherry, fresh orange, wet stone, and fresh roses. Full-bodied, with freshness throughout and a hint of warmth on its beautiful finish, this is the most successful of the wines from this line that I have tasted to date, offering fantastic length and gorgeous depth of fruit. It’s going to only improve with another few years in bottle, but it’s gorgeous now. Rating: 93+
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Wine Spectator
Mouthwatering and finely meshed, with density to the satiny texture, this marries bright acidity with flavors of ripe white cherry, biscuit, pickled ginger and candied grapefruit peel. Opens slowly on the palate, revealing layers of fragrant spices, mineral and dried flowers on the finish.
In 1829, Champagne Bollinger introduced an instantly recognizable, dry, toasty style that connoisseurs around the globe have coveted ever since. Six generations of the Bollinger family have maintained that trademark style, and Bollinger is one of the rare Grande Marque houses to be owned, controlled and managed by the same family since it was founded.
With 399 acres of vineyards situated in the best Grands Crus and Premiers Crus villages, Bollinger relies on its own estate for nearly two-thirds of its grape requirements, including the Pinot Noir that gives its Champagne its distinctive roundness and elegance. Bollinger is one of a select few houses that can control the quality of its grape supply so carefully.
Bollinger is renowned for its stringent quality standards. It adheres to traditional methods, including individual vinification of each marc and cru, barrel fermentation (it is the last Champagne house to employ a full-time cooper) and extra-aging on the lees prior to disgorgement.
Members of the British Royal Court were among the first to embrace Bollinger’s unmistakable quality, and Queen Victoria made Bollinger the exclusive purveyor to the Court by Royal Warrant in 1884. Besides royalty, loyal devotees have included heads of state, celebrities and even famous fictional characters: Agent 007, James Bond, demands the exclusive Champagne Bollinger.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’