Bollinger Champagne La Grande Annee 2014

2014 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Annee

95 WA

97 WS

98 VM

Notes:

The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Ay, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Ay and most of the Valle de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Ctes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Anne that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I cant recommend the 2014 highly enough. Its a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. 98 Vinous Media

Racy acidity drives this mouthwatering Champagne, enlivening the rich panoply of flavors. Features a fine and creamy mousse that's still a lively springboard for aromas and flavors of crme de cassis, glazed tangerine, roasted hazelnut, ground coffee, pickled ginger and white blossoms. Long and satiny, with minerally salt and chalk notes gaining momentum on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged July 2021. *Highly Recommended* Wine Spectator 97

Outer quote mark Offering up complex aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, frangipane, walnuts, dried white flowers and subtle hints of iodine, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Anne is medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit that's underpinned by racy acids and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, chalky finish, this is a charming but precise Grande Anne that's more giving and demonstrative than its immediate predecessor, the 2012, but which attains a very similar level of quality in a more challenging vintagetestimony to the serious viticulture that underpins Bollinger's contemporary excellence. Wine Advocate 95

The 2014 is very closely linked to the cold vintages, which express the characteristics of the different terroirs, the soil, and therefore the minerality,' explains Denis Bunner, assistant cellarmaster at Bollinger. 'This is a vintage of contrasts, with one of the hottest Junes in the last 50 years, but a very cool August, resulting in slow ripening. We harvested from 15 September, for two weeks, which makes it one of our shortest harvests. The most important thing for us was to manage the ripeness in order to obtain the best possible sorting window.' A blend of 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay, this 2014 La Grande Anne is from 19 villages, all grands and premiers crus, with 23% coming from Verzenay and 18% from A. It was aged for six months in small barrels. It has fresh and distinctive notes of lemon, herbs, red berries and gooseberries, and a splendid calcareous frame. The palate is mineral, tense and elegant with a dense structure, a perfectly balanced texture, fine bubbles, and a lingering finish. Decanter 94

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