2018 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année
We have a bit more of the new release of La Grande Année from Bollinger today at this excellent pricing! The 2018 is a beautifully serious vintage Champagne from one of the region’s great reference-point houses, made only in exceptional years and produced here from a blend showing off their incredible Pinot Noir (66%) along with Chardonnay (34%) sourced from 19 crus, then vinified entirely in older oak barrels and aged under cork, not cap, for far longer than the appellation requires. The 2018 release is especially appealing because it combines the generosity of the warmer vintage with surprising freshness and lift, giving the wine both immediacy and the structure to age. In the glass, it should show ripe orchard fruit, citrus, stone fruit, brioche, hazelnut, and subtle spice, all framed by Bollinger’s hallmark breadth, fine mousse, and vinous depth. This is a powerful but polished Grande Année, with the richness and texture that make Bollinger so distinctive, but also the balance and tension to make it one of the more compelling recent releases from the house. It's a fantastic buy from one of the Grande Marque houses, especially at this low price!
Wine Advocate (Kristaps Karklins) 94+ "Originating from a hot and dry growing season—particularly from mid-June onward—during which harvest began as early as August 23 and lasted for a full two weeks, Bollinger’s 2018 La Grande Année, composed of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, was disgorged in March 2025 with a dosage of six grams per liter. The wine has turned out very well in the vintage context, presenting—unsurprisingly—a broader and more succulent profile than the racy, fine-boned renditions of 2014 and 2008. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of peach, yellow apple, and orange peel mingled with freshly baked bread and mango, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and textural, with a generous core of fruit, animated by a pillowy mousse and laden with ripe yet vibrant acidity, carrying through to a long finish. It is slightly more expressive in magnum format, though in either case, it will benefit from a few years of post-disgorgement aging to fully unwind."
Original: $159.99
-65%$159.99
$56.00
Description
We have a bit more of the new release of La Grande Année from Bollinger today at this excellent pricing! The 2018 is a beautifully serious vintage Champagne from one of the region’s great reference-point houses, made only in exceptional years and produced here from a blend showing off their incredible Pinot Noir (66%) along with Chardonnay (34%) sourced from 19 crus, then vinified entirely in older oak barrels and aged under cork, not cap, for far longer than the appellation requires. The 2018 release is especially appealing because it combines the generosity of the warmer vintage with surprising freshness and lift, giving the wine both immediacy and the structure to age. In the glass, it should show ripe orchard fruit, citrus, stone fruit, brioche, hazelnut, and subtle spice, all framed by Bollinger’s hallmark breadth, fine mousse, and vinous depth. This is a powerful but polished Grande Année, with the richness and texture that make Bollinger so distinctive, but also the balance and tension to make it one of the more compelling recent releases from the house. It's a fantastic buy from one of the Grande Marque houses, especially at this low price!
Wine Advocate (Kristaps Karklins) 94+ "Originating from a hot and dry growing season—particularly from mid-June onward—during which harvest began as early as August 23 and lasted for a full two weeks, Bollinger’s 2018 La Grande Année, composed of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, was disgorged in March 2025 with a dosage of six grams per liter. The wine has turned out very well in the vintage context, presenting—unsurprisingly—a broader and more succulent profile than the racy, fine-boned renditions of 2014 and 2008. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of peach, yellow apple, and orange peel mingled with freshly baked bread and mango, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and textural, with a generous core of fruit, animated by a pillowy mousse and laden with ripe yet vibrant acidity, carrying through to a long finish. It is slightly more expressive in magnum format, though in either case, it will benefit from a few years of post-disgorgement aging to fully unwind."
