| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Champagne |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Sparkling |
Disgorged on July 10, 2020, with three grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's eagerly awaited 2007 Extra-Brut R. D. is beautiful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, citrus pith and white flowers mingled with hints of honey, orange oil, buttery pastry, English walnuts and delicately spicy bass notes. Full-bodied, vibrant and incisive, it's unusually elegant and structurally fine-boned for what is routinely one of Champagne's more muscular tête de cuvées, with a bright spine of acidity that's cloaked in vibrant, concentrated fruit, complemented by a pearly pinpoint mousse and concluding with an intensely sapid finish. Long and penetrating, this is a tightly coiled R. D. that will reward bottle age. 2021 - 2037
2007 is in most hands a weak and diluted vintage that I normally avoid. The exception is spelled Bollinger! The powerful house style often shines brighter during lighter vintages, the vintage wines from Bollinger are top on my list from 2007. The wine was already like La Grande Année classically built and balanced with good depth and tightly beautiful malic acids. Now in the R.D. version, the minerality is even clearer with macadam, chalk and gunpowder smoke. The champagne is extremely slim with a slightly buttery vanilla-like note as the top layer on above the dry notes of cocoa, hazelnut cream, dried apricots, blood orange and red juicy apples. An unusually fine-tuned classic.
Straw/lemon in colour with a fine and persistent mousse. Initially bready and yeasty on the nose with hints of apples and pears. A distinct perfume of ripe strawberries from the high percentage of Pinot Noir in the blend and an attractive smoked almond character too. On the palate the wine is generous, textured, full and rounded but with plenty of steeliness too lending tension. Both opulence and precision. This is open, forward an absolutely ready to drink as you would expect from R.D. Lovely lingering end palate. We loved the original Grande Annee 2007 and there is therefore no surprise about the quality of its R.D. successor. Bottle tasted disgorged 10th July 2020. 70% Pinot Noir & 30% Chardonnay.
What an amazing nose this has, like the smell of a rock pool on a rocky coast, but with so many candied-fruit, spicy and mushroom notes behind that. That fruit is way more expressive on the powerful and structured palate with lime freshness and chalky minerality at the super-long, bone-dry finish. Disgorged 28th May, 2021.
