Bollinger Releases La Grande Année 2015 and La Grande Année Rosé 2015

Bollinger's La Grande Année from the 2015 vintage succeeds in producing a taste that is earthy, powerful and concentrated; a testament to the sunshine which is enhanced by the Maison's trademark use of wood.

Bollinger has launched their anticipated La Grande Année from the 2015 vintage demonstrating the power of oak in bringing together fruitiness and freshness from one of the hottest years on record in Champagne. 

According to chef de caves, Denis Bunner, who was recently in Australia for the launch, the challenge was 'high maturation' and waiting to pick at the right moment because even if berries were ‘ripe’, aromatically they needed to wait for vegetal aromas to disappear.

Bollinger's privilege is its north-facing cooler terroir in the Montagne de Reims (primarily Verzenay) during hot and difficult years such as this. To this end, they have also upped the percentage of Chardonnay - to 40 percent - to bring greater freshness.

What results are wines that are remarkably resistant to the season, juicy and fruity but fresh, and not at all plagued by vegetal matter.

"2015 expresses more of the soul of a Bollinger millésimé than any other year.
More opulent, more powerful, it exalts Pinot Noir. Uplifted by maturation in wooden casks, this champagne reveals the characteristics of an exceptional year," says Bunner.

We sampled vins clairs (still wines) from some typical La Grande Année plots from 2023 (although there will be no LGA from this vintage).

It was a fascinating comparison of the same wine from Cuis (in the Côte des Blancs) between different format barrels of varying ages and the result (or perception) of body, texture, phenolics, and fruit – as well as energy – with the latter coming more from a 25-year-old 228L barrel (as opposed to one aged for 4 years or a 410L barrel aged for 50 years).

Across a separate tasting of Ay, Verzenay and Avize, there was a stark contrast between stainless steel ferments and those aged in 25-year-old 228L barrels. It’s not unusual that oak ‘brings more’ but it also amplifies the salinity of chalk subsoil. Therefore, the perception of freshness becomes not only a question of acidity and pH.

Denis also explained how wine in barrel had better aging potential because it removes fragile components (which are oxidised in barrel) and, after racking, disappears from the wine. Wood is Bollinger’s key asset in a warm year, such as 2015, to remove naturally present phenols.

Where others from the 2015 vintage have failed, Bollinger has succeeded in producing a taste that is earthy, powerful and concentrated; a testament to the sunshine which is enhanced by the Maison's trademark use of wood. 

La Grande Année 2015

60% Pinot Noir / 40% Chardonnay, 11 crus predominantly from Verzenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ for Pinot Noir. Chouilly and Avize for Chardonnay. 79% grands crus and 21% premiers crus. Dosage is moderate at 8g/l.

La Grande Année 2015 is an aromatically fruity and evocative wine that is very different from its 2014 predecessor where time has been key to its elaboration. By contrast, 2015 is open and approachable on release sporting generosity from Mirabelle plum and mango backed by freshness from grapefruit and mixed berries. There's also some bakery for comfort and interest. Another dimension of freshness is a little bitterness of orange pithe, coming from pinot noir, contributing to structure and long length. LGA is also aged on cork which results in lower pressure (around one bar) and produces a nice creaminess on the palate. A delicious wine full of sunshine.

La Grande Année Rosé 2015

62% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay. 11 crus predominantly from Verzenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ for Pinot Noir. Chouilly and Avize for Chardonnay. 5% red wine from La Côte aux Enfants. 81% grands crus and 19% premiers crus. Dosage is moderate at 7g/l.

La Grande Année 2015 Rosé is attractively gastronomic with strawberries and cream and rose petal on the nose and just a hint of rhubarb. The palate's attack gives way to a salivating juiciness, richness and concentration within a round and silky texture. Tannins are fine and integrated. The red wine used for the blend comes from La Côte aux Enfants which contributes to this high concentration. Work is meticulously undertaken in the vineyard to have fruit with the highest levels of concentration. A hedonistic masterpiece.

Photography supplied by Bollinger