Champagne Bollinger
La Grande Année Rosé 2015
Champagne, France
A rosé version of La Grande Année is also made in certain vintages. Lily Bollinger agreed to a Bollinger rosé under one condition, it had to be extraordinary, and that is how La Grande Année Rosé was born: the subtle blend between a great vintage champagne and aa small percentage of red wine from one of the House’s emblematic vineyards , La Côte Aux Enfants, located in the village of Aÿ. This plot of Grand Cru is only used for red wine when the grapes are perfectly ripe. To produce a red wine of such high quality in the Champagne region is a challenge: a rare treat, a testament to the House’s expertise in Pinot Noir.
Reflecting its land and its traditional wine making methods, La Grande Année Rosé is famous for its promise of exceptional aging qualities which makes it a great wine for cellaring. The richness of this wine is expressed by a deep color, perfectly balanced aromas and a lovely vinosity.
Vineyard
La Grande Année Rosé is another expression of La Grande Année, Champagne Bollinger’s prestige cuvée, made exclusively from Grand and Premier crus. Red wine for blending comes from one of the House’s emblematic vineyards, La Côte Aux Enfants, located in the village of Aÿ. This plot of Grand cru is only used for red when the grapes are perfectly ripe. To produce a red wine of such high quality in the Champagne region is a challenge: a rare treat, a testament to the House’s expertise in Pinot Noir. The fruit was sourced from 11 Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. The Pinot Noir, 62% of the blend, comes predominantly from Äy, Mareuil-sur Aÿ and Verzenay, the Chardonnay, 38% of the blend, from Chouilly and Avizy.
Additionally, Bollinger was accredited with a “High Environmental Value” certification in 2012 (more here).
Winemaking
Reflecting its land and its traditional wine making methods, La Grande Année Rosé is famous for its promise of exceptional aging qualities which makes it a great wine for cellaring. The richness of this wine is expressed by a deep color, perfectly balanced aromas and a lovely vinosity.
La Grande Année Rosé is the unique blend between a great vintage Champagne and a red wine from a unique plot, the legendary Côte aux Enfants. The 2015 is a blend of 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay, from a total of 11 crus.
The blend is vinified entirely in older oak barrels, and undergoes its second fermentation under cork, rather than on crown capsule. 5% of still red wine from the Côte aux Enfants vineyard is added. The wine spent approximately 8 years on the lees, and has a dosage of 7 grams per liter.
Vintage
After steady rainfall early in the summer, warm, dry temperatures prevailed in August and September. During harvest, temperatures cooled, yielding grapes with perfectly preserved acidity and ripeness. The fruit harvested had exemplary structure, with especially outstanding Pinot Noir across the region.
Tasting Note
A nose full of primary aromas, offering a delicious composition of fruit flavors, blending strawberry juice, mandarin and rhubarb. On the palate, silky, the prelude to a voluptuous, juicy wine. On the palate, stone fruits set the tone ahead of a finish full of blood orange notes, a harmonious combination which shapes a tannic and elegant structure. A delicate hint of oiliness on the finish brings the tasting to a close.
Food Pairing
Bollinger is often considered the ultimate food pairing Champagne, and La Grande Année Rosé 2015 is no exception. This wine pairs beautifully with crayfish glazed with citrus and cream laced with citrus peel, lobster a la plancha, apricot and mandarin clafoutis.
Color
Rose
Grape Varieties
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Appellation
Champagne, France
Farming
Champagne Bollinger supports sustainable wine growing by grassing over the ground, using biological pest control, reducing the use of herbicides, recycling pruning waste, and planting hedges and orchards to encourage biodiversity. The Côte aux Enfants vineyard is managed organically.
Suggested Retail Price
$307.00
More on Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2015
Bollinger La Grande Année 2015 Launches in the U.S
April 19, 2024 - This week marked the unveiling of Bollinger's La Grande Année and La Grande Année Rose from the 2015 vintage. Cellarmaster Denis Bunner says, of the wine, "2015 expresses more of…
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