Bollinger - Grand Année Brut Champagne 2015 (750ml)
Vinous: 96 Points
Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015" Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel sage menthol sage tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023. - By Antonio Galloni on March 2024 Managing Director Charles-Armand de Belenet and Chef de Caves Denis Bunner have brought a renewed sense of energy at Bollinger that is palpable. Bollinger is among the maisons that are giving greater focus to vineyards and farming these days as mentioned in the introduction to this report. The 2015 Grand Année and Grand Année Rosé are the latest releases but there is plenty more in store for the near future.
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