Bollinger Special Cuvée

Vintage NV

Style Champagne

Blend of grapes 60% Pinot Noir 25% Chardonnay 15% Meunier Over 85% Grands and Premiers Crus

Winemaker Denis Bunner

Alcohol 12%

Dosage Moderate, 8-9g/l

Details of production

Special Cuvée is the result of the delicate blending between harvest grapes and a majority of Reserve Wines in magnums, including some aged for more than 15 years in Bollinger’s cellars. In 1911, Bollinger’s British agent gave the idea for the name Special Cuvée – “special” written the English way, without an accent. He thought the French expression “Brut sans année” was no match for such a subtle champagne… More than a hundred years later, the name of Bollinger’s key figure champagne still symbolizes both its expertise and its history.

Tasting Notes

A golden colour with a beautifully fine mousse. The nose is aromatic and complex with ripe fruit and spicy aromas. Roasted apples, apple compote and peaches burst on the palate. Brioche and notes of fresh walnut linger on the lasting finish. A subtle combination of structure, length and vivacity.

How To Serve

Best served between 10 and 12°C. A great aperitif but also brilliant with, sushi and sashimi, prawn, crayfish and grilled lobster. Poultry and white meat are also a great match along with Parmesan cheese and good cured ham. Enjoy now, or choose to age in the cellar.

60% Pinot noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier sourced from more than 300 Crus, including 85% grands and Permiers Crus; 15% fermented in old oak barrels. The complexity and richness of Special Cuvée is unparalleled among the entry non-vintage blends of ever Champagne house, short of ascending to the mesosphere of krug. Its grand recipe explains why, built on incredible depth of 50%-60% reserves. Triumphant complexity is a given at Bollinger, but it’s the dynamicfreshness and vitality that really set it apart as one of the most affordable Champagne benchmarks. 96 Points

Tyson Stelzer Decanter July 2020