2007 Bollinger Grande Annee
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Tasting Notes
Hot heavily buttered toast, combined with cream, roasted nuts, sweet spices, refreshing citrus, Granny Smith and crunchy stone fruit: apricots and peaches. Despite its nine years on the lees, 2007 Bollinger La Grande Année remains wonderfully youthful with a whip of acidity that suggests huge longevity. Powerful and promising, an exceptional wine and one of the irrefutable Champagnes of the vintage. Oct 2016
Having tasted it in the office, we can confirm this fully lives up to Bollinger’s billing as being their version of the vintage. Where others have produced lighter styles this remains big, serious and powerful while still embracing a delicate approachability. This makes it beautiful to drink now yet has impressive structure that suggests a stellar future ahead. A blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, we tasted this against the most recent Grande Annee releases (2005 and 2002) and are pleased to say that this 2007 is up there with the ‘02, while already blowing the ‘05 away. Produced from 91% Grand Cru grapes, the pedigree really shines through in a cuvee that, with every release, shows off the epitome of the Pinot-dominated Bollinger style – as Juhlin notes “a classically and perfectly balanced Bollinger”.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Richard Juhlin
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
It might seem a bit surprising that Bollinger skipped the great vintage of 2006 for the more modest 2007. For me that choice is however quite logical since the Bollinger house style is much better suited to austere vintages than for fruit bombs. Here we have a classic and perfectly balanced Bollinger with deep layers and beautiful crisp apple acidity. Gorgeous balance between the dark and light as a perfect Ying and Yang marriage. Layers of dry cocoa, hazelnut fudge, dried apricots and juicy red apples dominate over a beautiful hint of forest aromas based on sous bois and mushrooms in the background. One of the three best champagnes from this vintage.
Mid gold. Lots of acidity. Masses of energy and a bit more honey than some Bollingers. Apples and honey on the palate. Very fresh and even a lightly yeasty note on the palate. More refreshing than the Bolly stereotype. Maybe not that long but hugely flirtatious within the Bollinger idiom. This will definitely be an RD, I was told. Subtly mineral. Muscular.
<strong>To the eye</strong>: The delicate colour and golden hues are a sign of the wine's maturity and Bollinger's wine-making methods.<br><br><strong>to the nose</strong>: A first impression of fresh almonds, then yellow-flesh fruit aromas evoking peach and mango; toasted, roasted notes accompanied with dried citrus and pink grapefruit.<br><br><strong>On the palate</strong>: A lovely aromatic fullness with honey flavours and a smooth chalky texture; candied lemon notes and a delicious bitterness, a wonderfully refreshing finish.
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About the producer
Bollinger is one of the most renowned and coveted Champagne Houses in the world, famous for its Pinot-Noir-dominant wines, in particular La Grande Année and the rare Vieilles Vignes Françaises (from pre-phylloxera vines).