Maison Bollinger, La Grande Année Brut, 2015

"Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40%Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Ay in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023. "

"Bollinger’s philosophy of picking at full ripeness is ironically more pertinent in the warm seasons of today than it was in the cool vintages of the past, and never has this been more emphatically declared than in the 2015 harvest, a year in which too many lesser houses were afflicted with underripe aromas, flavours and phenolic structure. By contrast, Bollinger has captured the full, expansive richness of the season in succulent, ripe white peach, even pineapple, golden delicious apple and fig, building to blackberry fruits with time in the glass, yet it upholds vitality and tension in a crunchy grapefruit finish that declares the crucial presence of both chardonnay and northern Montagne de Reims pinot noir in moderating this blend. I tasted it before its release and long before its composition was announced, and the dominance of northern Montagne de Reims and of the maximum proportion of chardonnay in a Bollinger blend was clearly apparent. True to the magnitude of the house and the exuberance of the season, the hue is a full straw. Oak barrel fermentation unites with a full seven years on lees to lay on all its creamy richness of vanilla custard, crème brûlée, apple tea cake and cinnamon. Voluptuous fruit and creamy texture are more crucial than ever here in moderating the grainy phenolic bite and grip inherent to this season, which leaves some firmness to the finish and dictates that this is a La Grande Année for protein pairings. Think main course of game bird or pig proportions. Crystalline minerality nonetheless holds strong, declaring the ever more apparent advantage of the finest grand crus to uphold freshness even at full ripeness in the warmest of seasons. This is an année less grande than 2012 and 2014, back to the mood of 2005 (though more polished and crystalline thanks to the magic of Gilles Descôtes), and will likewise appreciate some years on cork to assimilate its structure. It’s a grand declaration not only that the intricate detail and elegance that Gilles Descôtes achieved in 2014 was no one off, but a profound confirmation of the progressive march toward refinement that defines the modern Bollinger."