The Bollinger Champagne collection is presented below along with ratings and price class. Compare Bollinger ratings and prices to similar brands by clicking on the link.
Brut Champagne has a dosage of 0 to 12 grams per liter. Brut nature and extra brut are sub-designations within brut. Click on a link for detailed ratings, price class, tasting notes, and characteristics.
Special Cuvee is a Bollinger non-vintage white blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and meunier.
Bollinger Special Cuvee - rating [93] - price class [$75-99]
Bollinger rose’ is a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and meunier.
Bollinger Rose’ - rating [92] - price class [$100-124]
The Bollinger PN collection is assembled entirely from pinot noir.
PN AYC 18 - rating [93] - price class [$125-149]
PN TX 17 - rating [93] - price class [$125-149]
PN VZ 16 - rating [94] - price class [$125-149]
La Grande Annee is assembled from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. It is fermented entirely in oak barrels.
La Grande Annee 2014 - rating [96] - price class [$150-199]
La Grande Annee 2012 - rating [96] - price class [$150-199]
R.D. is a low dosage extra brut Champagne. It is produced with pinot noir and chardonnay grapes and is fermented in oak barrels.
Bollinger RD 2008 - rating [97] - price class [$300-$499]
Bollinger RD 2007 - rating [96] - price class [$300-$499]
This brut rose’ is produced with pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. It is fermented entirely in oak barrels.
La Grande Annee Rose’ 2014 - rating [96] - price class [$200-$299]
La Grande Annee Rose’ 2012 - rating [96] - price class [$200-$299]
B13 is a blanc de noirs Champagne that is 100% pinot noir. This cuvee comprises 92% grand crus and 8% premier crus.
Bollinger B13 - rating [93] - price class [$129-$149]
Vieilles Vignes Francaises is a blanc de noirs produced entirely with pinot noir grapes. It has a very limited in production. Recent releases consist of less than 3200 numbered bottles that retail for more than $1300 for a 750 ml bottle.
Vieilles Vignes Francaises 2013 - rating [na] - price class [more than $1000]
Vieilles Vignes Francaises 2012 - rating [na] - price class [more than $1000]
Bollinger is the second largest independent Champagne House after Roederer. The portfolio has grown over the last few years, but they have managed to maintain their focus on quality and advancements. Bollinger embraces traditional winemaking techniques if Bollinger considers them superior to modern techniques. The Bollinger style is dry, toasty, full bodied and generally dominated by pinot noir.
Bollinger typically produces a style that is dry, toasty and full bodied. All cuvees are dominated by Pinot Noir.
Approximately 2.5 million bottles are currently produced annually.
Societe Jacques Bollinger (holding company)
Dennis Bunner
Charles-Armand de Belenet
Bollinger Champagne
20 Boulevard Maréchal de Lattre, 51160
Ay, France
http://www.champagne-bollinger.com
In 1829 three men came together to establish the original firm of Renaudin-Bollinger et Cie. The group consisted of Joseph Jacob Bollinger (known as Jacques), a well-traveled German businessman who worked at another champagne house; Paul Joseph Renaudin, a local landowner with a fascination of wine; and Athanase Hennequin de Villermont, an aristocrat and renowned soldier who had received a substantial inheritance of land in the Aÿ region of Champagne. The three men agreed not to use the Villermont name on the label since aristocrats were essentially prohibited from commercial transactions at the time. Jacques was in charge of sales and Paul was in charge of the cellars. Jacques married Louise-Charlotte, the daughter of Athanase in 1837.
The sons of Jacques and Louise-Charlotte, Joseph and Georges, eventually took over the operations of the house. The Bollinger reputation and vineyard holdings expanded. Phylloxera and World War I brought great devastation to Champagne, but Bollinger managed to continue production. Georges, Chairman of Bollinger and Councilman at Aÿ helped protect the village. Georges’ son Jacques was an aviator, rising to the rank of Lieutenant during the war. Georges died before the war was over. After Jacques was discharged from the military in 1919, he took over as head of the Bollinger Champagne House at the age of 24. He married Scotswoman Lily Bollinger in 1923. Jacques eventually became mayor of Aÿ and lead the house and the town during the turmoil of World War II until his death in 1941. When Jacques died at the age of 47, Lily, also known as “Madame Jacques” at the house, took over. Jacques had taught his wife extensively about the champagne business and Lily proved to be an exceptional businesswoman. Under her guidance until her death in 1977, Bollinger managed to double its production. Images of Madame Jacques’ bicycle trips through the vineyards remain a cherished memory, as do her familiar quotes such as: “I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
Lily taught members of her family the details of running the House. She made her niece’s husband, Claude d’Hautefeuille Director in 1950 and appointed him Chairman in 1971 after she had spent 30 years at the reins herself. Lily remained active in the management of the house until her death 6 years later. In 1978, Claude retired and Madame Bollinger’s nephew Christian Bizot took over. In 1994, the great-great grandson of founder Jacques, Christian de Montgolfier stepped in. In 2007, Christian was elected to head the Board of the Union des Maisons de Champagne and the co-chairman of the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne. Jérôme Philipon became the first non-family member to take the Chairman position in 2008.
Even though Paul Renaudin, one of the original founders, passed away without an heir and the company had been run only by the Bollinger family for many years, the Renaudin name continued on the label until the 1960s when it was finally dropped, making the label solely “Bollinger”.
When one of the three original founders, Jacques Bollinger, became friends with Ludwig Mentzendorff, Ludwig introduced Queen Victoria to Bollinger champagne and the appreciation was so great that the Royal Warrant was awarded to Jacques in 1884. The Royal Warrant is awarded exclusively to suppliers to the Royal Court. For 130 years Bollinger has been sanctioned by England’s monarchy to label its bottles with the royal coat of arms, along with the phrase “By appointment to Her Majesty…” In 1973, Albert R. Broccolimet, film producer of several James Bond movies, formed a lasting friendship with Christian Bizot, former Bollinger CEO. Since Moonraker, Bollinger has been featured in 13 James Bond Movies. Aligning with the tastes of Agent 007, England remains one of Bollinger’s leading export markets.