| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Champagne |
| Colour | Rosé |
| Type | Sparkling |
Bollinger's 2015 Brut La Grande Année Rosé was disgorged in May last year with seven grams per liter dosage. Offering up deep aromas of orchard fruits, blood orange, mandarin rind and peach mingled with nuances of coffee, praline and fino sherry, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and layered, with a broad attack that segues into a vinous palate framed by high levels of structuring dry extract that makes its presence felt on the sapid, nutty and penetrating finish. Given the skin maturity and inherent structure of the year, the Bollinger team elected to include only 4.5% of still red wine in the blend, a comparatively low percentage. 2024 - 2045
A very impressive wine this year which has clearly benefitted from a riper, more concentrated and complex red wine blended into the wine, despite making up less than 5% of the blend its character and presence is really felt. Pale salmon pink in colour, the nose has deft, juicy red fruits, white strawberries and layered red fruit blossoms together with a pinch of cranberry and brioche. The palate is sappy and bursting with red fruit, succulent and vivid despite clear layers of savoury complexity from lees ageing and Bollinger's use of oak in elevage. Spicy, with a slight hint of thyme and rosemary, this is a moreish complex and very accomplished Grande Année Rosé, one of the best we have tasted in recent years.
Base wine, the same as the white Grande Année 2015 tinted by 5% still red wine from the famous Côte aux Enfants vineyard, was all aged in oak. Blend of 11 crus, predominantly 62% Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and 38% Chardonnay from Chouilly and Avize. Disgorged July 2023.
Pale, slightly gris salmon pink (a little paler than the Billecart 2012 Elisabeth Salmon rosé tasted alongside). Heady, mushroomy, off-dry, sumptuous Bollinger gloriousness on the palate. I wonder what the dosage is, and whether the richness comes mainly from the fruit and oak? Finishes dry, but with wonderfully soothing impact on the palate. Relatively gentle mousse. Really gets to the deepest part of the throat. Sensational!
