March not only saw the first spring flowers brightening the rainy days but also the launch of the much anticipated 2015 vintage of the prestigious La Grande Année champagne from the House of Bollinger.
La Grande Année embodies the expert craftsmanship passed from generation to generation within the House of Bollinger. Part of what makes Bollinger so special is that production remains much as it began, with the wine being entirely vinified in small oak barrels. It’s the only Champagne House to still employ a resident cooper, with barrel ageing in old oak casks one of the House’s most distinctive characteristics.
La Grande Année is aged on the lees for six months before it is riddled and disgorged by hand. The wine is then naturally aged under the cork — a process only Bollinger undertakes — for six to seven years.
While the process of making the wine is important, the grapes are what makes each vintage special. Each year, the weather plays a vital role in fruit production, with subtle differences reflected in the flavour, sweetness and volume of the fruits produced.
2015 was exceptional, with the perfect combination of blazing sunshine and moderate rainfall. A mild winter melted into a delightfully warm early spring, banishing fruit-damaging frosts. April saw the highest recorded levels of sunshine for the month since 2007 and set the tone for the hot, dry summer that was to come. With a final flurry of wet days in August before the harvest began in early September, the superb-quality grapes, when mixed with the Bollinger expertise, created a bold, intense, and flavoursome vintage.
“The appearance of the grapes and the weather in 2015 clearly point to a very promising vintage. And so we harvest, we make the wine, and then we wait seven long years. Then it is out of our hands,” said Bollinger cellar master, Denis Bunner. “We relinquish our control and, today, give in to discovery. What a thrill! The taste is well-rooted, earthy, powerful, and concentrated. You can taste the sunshine, which is enhanced by the wood.”
Bollinger La Grande Année 2015 Vintage Tasted
As you release the cork with a satisfying pop, you’ll find warm summer fruits like peach and pear, with hints of white flowers rising to greet you. Once on the palate, the fruits are joined by a touch of honey and tropical notes of mango and just a little woody oak. The fine, slow bubbles give a delightfully creamy mouthfeel, making it much too easy to drink. The finish is long and fresh with a touch of minerality.
La Grande Année 2015 is a beautifully balanced wine that is rich and elegant and will keep you coming back for more. Bollinger might not be your everyday go-to bottle, but if you’re looking for something really special to mark an occasion, then a bottle of La Grande Année 2015 would be a perfect pairing.
Bollinger La Grande Année 2015 is available now
, with La Grande Année Rosé 2015 due to be released later in the year.
