Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises 2012

The 2012 Vieilles Vignes Françaises is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. All the elements are impeccably balanced. Rich and creamy, but also wonderfully poised, the 2012 has so much to offer. Readers will find a Champagne of unparalleled elegance and finesse. Hints of apricot, dried flowers, chamomile, spice, mint and marzipan fill out the layers. I especially admire the finesse of the mousse in the 2012. The choice to pick a bit earlier than usual, given the warmth of the year and a naturally low crop, paid off big time. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. In a word: fabulous. Drink 2023-2043.

Disgorged in March 2023 with six grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2012 Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Françaises is a powerful, multidimensional Champagne that pushes the house's vinous, Pinot Noir-driven style to the furthest. Offering up rich aromas of orange rind, mandarin oil, grilled peaches, dried fruits and pear mingled with notions of nutmeg, beeswax, smoke and buttered toast, it's full-bodied, broad and layered, with a deep, enveloping core endowed with extraordinary texture and concentration, its broad attack and mid-palate segueing into a long, resonant finish. If the 2013 vintage tended to tame some of the Vieilles Vignes Françaises's exuberance, the 2012 vintage leaves this cuvée untrammeled.