Bollinger Spécial Cuvée

Robert Parker Wine Advocate "The NV Brut Special Cuvee is one of the finest and most consistently delicious entry-level Champagnes, as it is again this year. Brioche, hazelnuts and pears are some of the nuances the flow from this crystalline, pure Champagne. The Special Cuvee is the freshest wine in the Bollinger lineup, and shows only a touch of the warmer, oxidative notes that define the higher-end wines, but it is nevertheless an exceptionally fine, beautiful Champagne. Clean, mineral notes round out the finish. The Special Cuvee is 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, with the addition on 5-10% reserve wines. This is Lot L932901. Disgorged September 11, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015. 

This is an exceptional set of new wines from Bollinger, one of Champagne’s historic houses. From top to bottom, there isn’t anything Bollinger isn’t doing well these days. I recently sat down with Chef de Caves Matthieu Kaufmann to taste through a range of the house’s 2009s. Readers will find notes on that tasting on www.erobertparker.com One of the distinguishing features of the Bollinger style is the aging of reserve wines in magnum under cork (not crown seal), a painstaking labor of love. Bollinger also has some of the most informative back labels among the region’s larger producers. It would be great to see Krug, Moet & Chandon, Roederer, Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot and a number of the region’s big houses follow suit."