On Wednesday, March 27th, Champagne Bollinger hosted a dinner to launch the eagerly anticipated 2015 vintage of the prestigious La Grande Année and offer a first taste of the La Grande Année Rosé 2015 in the UK. Bollinger Celler Master Denis Bunner presented the wines to guests at a special alfresco dinner held in a woodland setting outside of London.
La Grande Année is the embodiment of Maison Bollinger’s expert craftsmanship, preserved from one generation to the next. The wine is entirely vinified in small oak barrels. Champagne Bollinger has never renounced this very old method of production, which promotes the development of aromas with great finesse.
After extended lees ageing, each bottle of La Grande Année is, to this day, still riddled and disgorged by hand.
The woodland setting was selected to echo the theme of wood and the forest, reflecting the craftsmanship of the Cuvee through the ageing in oak casks and the subsequent flavour profiles. Bollinger’s history has always been interwoven with that of its family forest in Cuis, which stands above the Maison’s 180ha of vineyards.
Since 2015, this forest has provided Bollinger with wood which it shapes into the oak barrels that will one day become the home of some of the Maison’s future vintages. Bollinger is the only Champagne House that still employs a resident cooper, with barrel ageing in old oak casks one of the House’s most distinctive characteristics.
To honour this theme, the launch event was held outside amongst the trees, with dinner prepared for guests by Green Michelin-starred chef Chantelle Nicholson, owner of Apricity Restaurant in Mayfair.
The 2015 vintage in Champagne was marked by remarkable weather, blazing hot sunshine moderated by rain showers and Bollinger’s own expertise. A mild, wet winter gave way to a balmy early spring, which reduced the risk of frost.
With the highest recorded levels of sunshine since 2007, the month of April set the tone for a hot, dry summer. Flowering went smoothly, followed by a rainy August just before harvest began on 4 September.
Grape quality was excellent, with compact bunches of small, extremely healthy berries. Both La Grande Année and La Grande Année Rosé are gastronomic wines which complement distinctive dishes with bold flavours. Their luscious richness is always perfectly balanced by an elegant note of bitterness, and the delicate texture of the 2015 cuvées produces exquisitely harmonious wines.
Bollinger Cellar Master Denis Bunner was confident about the 2015 wines from the start. Bunner said, “The appearance of the grapes and the weather in 2015 clearly point to a very promising vintage. And so we harvest, we make the wine, and then we wait seven long years. Then, it is out of our hands.
We relinquish our control and, today, give in to discovery. What a thrill! The taste is well-rooted, earthy, powerful, and concentrated. You can taste the sunshine, which is enhanced by the wood.”
Chef Chantelle Nicholson says, “It has been a great privilege to work with Champagne Bollinger to create a menu that complements these exceptional wines. La Grande Année and La Grande Année Rosé are wines with integrity and elegance, true partners to food. The inspiration from the woodland theme sees ingredients such as Kentish cobnuts and rhubarb paired with cured brill and venison with mushrooms, pear, and cherry.”
Victoria Carfantan, Director of Champagne Bollinger UK, added, “It has been a great pleasure to immerse our guests into the woodland theme, to impart the unique philosophy behind La Grande Année. It was an honour for us to collaborate with a chef of Chantelle’s calibre, who was awarded a Green Michelin Star in 2023, tying in perfectly with the Bollinger B Corp status.”
The RSP for the Bollinger La Grande Année 2015 is £175, and for the La Grande Année Rosé 2015 is £225. The La Grande Année 2015 is now available to purchase from Fine Wine Merchants, and the La Grande Année Rosé 2015 will be released later this year.
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