Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 2007 1.5Ltr

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.

This has such clarity and freshness with minerality to the bread-dough and praline aromas. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with a long, linear palate and a reserved finish. This is a wine that combines sophistication, complexity and aging potential. Late-disgorged magic. Drink or hold.

Bollinger’s 2007 R.D. is superb, but it is also a wine that reflects the nature of a unique and challenging growing season. In most vintages the R.D. is marked by the distinct creaminess and breadth of Aÿ Pinot Noir. Two thousand seven, though, was a difficult year marked by very dry weather, rain at the end of the growing season and an early harvest in August, something that was not as common as it has become. Selection was essential. For the 2007, the blend is composed of just 14 villages compared to the more typical 18-25. Verzenay is the main Pinot component while Cramant plays the leading role in the Chardonnays. For these reasons, the 2007 is an R.D. driven by more focus, energy and tension than readers are used to seeing. Lemon confit, dried flowers, sage, mint, crushed rocks, almond and ginger are some of the aromas and flavors that give the 2007 its complex, multi-faceted personality. The 2007 can be enjoyed now, but I would prefer to cellar it for a few years. It will age effortlessly for decades as it moves through the various phases of its life. I was reminded of the way Champagne can magically traverse time by magical bottles of the 1976 R.D. and 1996 Vieilles Vignes Françaises I tasted recently. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, 91% Grand Cru fruit and the rest Premier Cru. Bollinger fans will notice the return of the original label, with the disgorgement date clearly visible, a tribute to Madame Bollinger, who was a pioneer in so many ways. Disgorged: July 10, 2020. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. (Originally published in May 2021)

Minerally on the nose, with accents of sea breeze and brine, transitions on the palate to a deep and finely-knit range of ripe nectarine and dried white cherry fruit, chopped almond and espresso crema, and hints of tangerine peel, saffron and ground cardamom. Fine and lacy in texture, this is sleek and mouthwatering through to the finish, where the salinity returns, echoing a lasting note. Disgorged July 2020. Drink now through 2032. 300 cases imported.

There is touch of secondary character present on the yeasty and toasty nose that reflects notes of cool citrus and green apple that are trimmed in a pretty floral nuance. There is very good volume and richness to the relatively powerful flavors that delivering fine length on the bright and moderately dry finale. The mousse is well-integrated if not especially prominent and overall, this delicious effort could easily be enjoyed now or held for another decade.

A lively mousse, soft gold energy belying its extended sojourn on cork, and then an attractive nose of gorse, dried apricot, flint and baking spice. This subtle interplay between spice and fruit is re-visited on the palate, a firm backdrop of peachy acidity bolstered by orchard fruits and a hint of almond. Still a little sleepy after a relatively recent reawakening, the wine does not lack for potential, reinforced by notes of gingerbread, hazelnut and quince, all patiently underwriting the prospect of a slow-burn crescendo. Disgorged: July 2021. Dosage: 3g/L. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2030

Abundant stewed and candied fruits on the nose, accompanied by touches of sweet spice. With time, notes of Mirabelle and preserved orange unfold in the glass. Rich and generous on the palate, with tarte tatin flavors and a full and harmonious mouthfeel. It marries perfectly with the most refined dishes, such as pigeon or roasted scallops, and intensity makes it the perfect partner for an aged Comté. – CELLAR MASTER GILLES DESCOTES