Bollinger

The firm of Renaudin-Bollinger and Cie was founded on 6 February 1829 in Aÿ by three partners: Athanase de Villermont, a nobleman who owned vast vineyard estates but was barred from trade by his aristocratic status; Paul Renaudin, a local Champenois fascinated by winemaking; and Joseph-Jacob-Placide Bollinger, known as Jacques, a widely travelled German who had come to learn the Champagne trade. The Villermont name was kept off the labels by agreement, giving rise to the name Renaudin-Bollinger, which only became simply Bollinger in the 1960s after Renaudin died without an heir. The house has been family-managed since 1889, passing through successive generations of the Bollinger family. Lily Bollinger, who took over on the death of her husband Jacques in 1941, is the most celebrated figure in the house's modern history, traveling the world to promote the brand and devising the R.D. concept. In 2024, the Bollinger Group is led by Etienne Bizot as President and CEO, with Charles-Armand de Belenet serving as General Manager of Champagne Bollinger.

• Founded 6 February 1829 in Aÿ, at what is now 16 rue Jules Lobet, the house's historic address
• Family-managed since 1889; the label did not become solely Bollinger until the 1960s, when the Renaudin name was finally dropped
• Holding company Société Jacques Bollinger also owns Ayala Champagne, Langlois-Château in the Loire, Delamain Cognac, and Maison Chanson in Burgundy

Bollinger's 180 hectares of vineyards are split across seven main sites, with 85% classified as Grand or Premier Cru. The Pinot Noir sites, Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois, and Verzenay, circle the Montagne de Reims; Cuis on the Côte des Blancs provides Chardonnay; and Champvoisy in the Vallée de la Marne supplies Meunier. Pinot Noir accounts for 60% of the house's vineyard output, exactly mirroring its proportion in Special Cuvée. Bollinger cultivates nearly 104 hectares of Grand and Premier Cru Pinot Noir on the Montagne de Reims alone. Two tiny plots in Aÿ, the Clos Saint-Jacques and Chaudes Terres, miraculously escaped phylloxera and are still planted with ungrafted vines tended entirely by hand using the traditional provignage layering technique. A third plot, the Croix Rouge in Bouzy, was lost to phylloxera in 2005.

• Seven main vineyard sites spanning the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne; estate fruit supplies more than 60% of total needs
• Clos Saint-Jacques and Chaudes Terres in Aÿ are the two surviving ungrafted plots, source of the Vieilles Vignes Françaises cuvée; a third plot in Bouzy was lost to phylloxera in 2005
• Aÿ is a 100% échelle Grand Cru; Pinot Noir clone 386 is predominantly planted across Bollinger's Grand Cru sites

Bollinger's winemaking is defined by five pillars identified by its chef de cave: Pinot Noir dominance, barrel fermentation, reserve wine complexity, extended time on the lees, and fruit quality. All Bollinger Champagnes are aged on the lees for at least twice, and in many cases three times, as long as appellation regulations require. First fermentation is carried out cru by cru and variety by variety; vintage wines and all wines destined for La Grande Année and R.D. are fermented in small used oak barrels. Bollinger is the last Champagne house to employ a resident cooper, maintaining around 4,000 barrels. Special Cuvée sees approximately 30% of the blend vinified in old oak casks of 228 or 400 litres. The reserve magnum program is unique: Bollinger stores around 800,000 magnums of reserve wine under cork, with those magnums aged 5 to 15 years contributing 5 to 10% of the final Special Cuvée blend.

• All wines age on the lees for at least twice the appellation minimum; Special Cuvée is aged approximately 30-36 months, Grande Année and R.D. for a minimum of 5 and 8 years respectively
• Bollinger is the only remaining Grande Marque to ferment in old oak barrels and the last to employ an in-house cooper; around 30% of Special Cuvée is vinified in wood
• Special Cuvée dosage is 7-8 g/L; R.D. is dosed as Extra Brut, following Madame Bollinger's original vision of contrasting rich lees age with bright freshness

Special Cuvée is the non-vintage house flagship, first named by Georges Bollinger's British agent Harry J. Newman in 1911 because the French expression brut sans année did not suit a wine of such quality. It is blended from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Meunier drawn from over 85% Grand and Premier Cru sites, with 40 to 50% reserve wines in the final blend. La Grande Année is the vintage wine, also produced as a rosé, aged five years on lees under cork. R.D. is always a La Grande Année vintage held back for extended lees aging, spending a minimum of 8 years in the cellar before hand disgorgement; it was first released in 1967 with the 1952 vintage. Vieilles Vignes Françaises, produced since the 1969 vintage, is a blanc de noirs from the two surviving ungrafted plots in Aÿ, aged at least five years in the cellar, and limited to just 2,000 to 3,000 numbered bottles per vintage.

• Special Cuvée named in 1911 for the British market; blended from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier; dosage 7-8 g/L
• R.D. (Récemment Dégorgé) first released 1967 with the 1952 vintage by Madame Bollinger; registered trademark; minimum 8 years lees aging; dosed Extra Brut
• Vieilles Vignes Françaises first vintage 1969; blanc de noirs from ungrafted vines; only 2,000 to 3,000 bottles made per vintage from approximately 0.3 hectares

Bollinger has held a Royal Warrant from the British Crown continuously since 1884, when Queen Victoria first granted the distinction after the wine was introduced to her through London merchant Ludwig Mentzendorff. Every reigning monarch from Victoria to King Charles III has renewed the honour; the 2024 renewal by Charles III marked an unbroken 140 years of supply to the Royal Household, an unprecedented achievement in Champagne. Bollinger is also the official Champagne of James Bond. The brand first appeared in Ian Fleming's novel Diamonds Are Forever, and the official screen partnership began with the 1979 film Moonraker, following a handshake agreement with producer Albert Broccoli. Bollinger has appeared in every Bond film since, celebrated over 45 years of that partnership with a series of limited-edition releases. Christian Bizot's Charter of Ethics and Quality, published in 1992, formalized Bollinger's commitment to extended aging and estate viticulture at a time when most other houses were cutting standards.

• Royal Warrant first granted 1884 by Queen Victoria; renewed by every monarch through King Charles III in 2024, marking 140 unbroken years as an official royal supplier
• Official Champagne of James Bond since the 1979 film Moonraker; the brand first appeared in Fleming's novel Diamonds Are Forever
• Charter of Ethics and Quality published 1992 by Christian Bizot; formally codified extended lees aging, estate sourcing above 60% of needs, and traditional barrel fermentation

Authentic Bollinger Special Cuvée presents a deep golden colour characteristic of a Pinot Noir-dominant blend, with a fine, persistent mousse. The nose offers beautiful aromatic complexity: ripe fruit and spicy aromas, with hints of roasted apples, compote, and peaches, underpinned by a savoury, biscuity quality from extended lees contact and partial barrel fermentation. On the palate, the wine is structured and vinous, with a creamy texture from the reserve magnums, notes of pear, brioche, and fresh walnut, and a long, dry, mineral finish reflecting the chalky Grand Cru terroirs of Aÿ and the Montagne de Reims. Dosage at 7-8 g/L keeps the finish dry and focused. Compared to many Champagnes, Bollinger reads broader and more powerful, with a toasty, oxidative complexity that develops over time in the glass.

• Appearance and nose: deep golden hue, very fine bubbles, complex aromas of roasted apple, compote, spice, and brioche from Pinot Noir dominance and oak contact
• Palate: structured and vinous, creamy texture, pear and fresh walnut, long chalky mineral finish; dryness reinforced by 7-8 g/L dosage
• Key style markers vs. peers: broader and more Pinot-driven than Krug, more oxidative and toasty than Pol Roger, and more vinous than Louis Roederer Brut Premier