2014 Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut, Champagne
A$252.72
Availability:
In stock
SKU
13268V14
Medium-light straw with golden and brassy reflections; superbly complex and mellow to sniff, the nuttiness of barrel contact shows as well as various aldehydes and toasty biscuity characters. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied and rich, expansive and very generous in its flavour, the same toasty, nutty and biscuity flavours paramount but also citrus (lemon and orange). The dryness is almost searing: it cries out for food, such as fatty poultry or oily pasta. Tremendous power and very long persistence. A great Champagne! 30 JUL 2022 Drink 2022–2029
98 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com
The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive.
The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter.
98 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com Mar 2022 Drink 2024-2044
The 2014 is very closely linked to the cold vintages, which express the characteristics of the different terroirs, the soil, and therefore the minerality,’ explains Denis Bunner, assistant cellarmaster at Bollinger. ‘This is a vintage of contrasts, with one of the hottest Junes in the last 50 years, but a very cool August, resulting in slow ripening. We harvested from 15 September, for two weeks, which makes it one of our shortest harvests. The most important thing for us was to manage the ripeness in order to obtain the best possible sorting window.’ A blend of 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay, this 2014 La Grande Année is from 19 villages, all grands and premiers crus, with 23% coming from Verzenay and 18% from Aÿ. It was aged for six months in small barrels. It has fresh and distinctive notes of lemon, herbs, red berries and gooseberries, and a splendid calcareous frame. The palate is mineral, tense and elegant with a dense structure, a perfectly balanced texture, fine bubbles, and a lingering finish. ‘It presages a future RD (récemment dégorgé or recently disgorged) in the years to come,’ said Denis Bunner. Dosage: 8 g/L. Disgorged: April 2021.
94 points Yohan Castaing decanter.com
The initial sensation is a fine and intense effervescence, followed by a wonderful vinosity, and then balanced with delicate acidity. Its very fine texture and sea-air finish bring excellent length on the palate, accompanied by a delicate minerality and the complex flavours of orchard fruit and citrus.
Offering up complex aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, frangipane, walnuts, dried white flowers and subtle hints of iodine, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année is medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit that's underpinned by racy acids and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, chalky finish, this is a charming but precise Grande Année that's more giving and demonstrative than its immediate predecessor, the 2012, but which attains a very similar level of quality in a more challenging vintage—testimony to the serious viticulture that underpins Bollinger's contemporary excellence.
95 points William Kelley robertparker.com Mar 2022 Drink 2021-2045
61% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay. 19 crus : Mainly Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir, Chouilly and Oiry for the Chardonnay. Fermented entirely in aged oak barrel. Dosage 8 grams per litre.
Tinted with golden glints that reflect the wine’s maturity and Bollinger vinification techniques. A precise and fruity nose with a slight scent of sea-air. Aromas of cherry and lemon mingle with quince and bergamot. Then notes of hazelnut and almond, peach and mirabelle plum complete this wine’s range of aromas.
| Product/Service Sold Out | No |
|---|---|
| En Primeur | No |
| New Arrivals | No |
| Wine Type | Champagne/Sparkling |
| Wine Style | Traditional |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne, Montagne de Reims, Vallee de la Marne, Cote des Blancs |
| Varietals | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2014 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Wine Points | 98 |
Write Your Own Review