Champagne, FranceSpecial Cuvée has always been champagne for enthusiasts. The blend of 60/25/15 pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier remains mostly unaltered year after year because it contains such a high amount of reserve wine, thus fixing the house style at the same time. That style of aged, rich nutty lees, dare I say gout Anglais, is countered by a complex mix of white fruits, apple pie crust, saline notes, with darker pinot character, almonds, and ginger. The mousse is particularly fine, a function of its creamy texture and the age of the juice. Drink or hold, there is no rush.Tasted: 30 September 2022Tasted by: Prices:
Champagne, FranceBollinger's Special Cuvée is known for a rich, powerful, oxidative style thanks to its liberal use of reserve wines, some of which have aged in magnum for 5-15 years. So, forget the fresh fruit. This is about baked red apple, hazelnut, and brioche from aging over two years on lees. It's utterly delicious, deeply concentrated, and a fantastic champagne that you can have throughout the course of a meal. It's worth every penny.Tasted: 03 December 2020Tasted by: Prices:
Champagne, FranceThe Bollinger house style is rich and powerful. The blend is 60/25/15 pinot noir/ chardonnay/ pinot meunier, with a small amount of reserve wine spanning 15 years. Fifty percent of this cuvée ferments in oak casks, and you can’ t miss the rich, toasted hazelnut nose that draws you into the glass. Add some red fruits, and creamy texture, and you end up with a long, expansive food-worthy sparkler with equally compelling acidity that captures the imagination. As good as this is now, you can effortlessly age it a decade. Also available in 1.5 litre and .375 litre formats.Tasted: 06 October 2019Tasted by: Prices:
Champagne, FranceSpecial Cuvée Bolly is classic for the house: powerful, presence, prestige. It is a blend of 60/25/15 pinot noir/ chardonnay/ pinot meunier, over 85 percent of which is Grand and Premier Crus, and with a dose of reserve wines up to 15 years old. Up to fifty percent of this cuvée will have been fermented in oak casks. And all of this explains the density and power of Special Cuvée. Toasted brioche, hazelnuts, cherry, baked pears and rich cream on an expansive and full palate, carried by the firm, citrus acidity and lingering with subtle spices. If you're a fan of more opulent styles or looking for something to match to richer proteins, you'd be hard-pressed to find an NV finer than this.Tasted: 05 December 2016Tasted by: Prices:
Champagne, FranceSpecial Cuvée first appeared on Bollinger labels in 1911 after Bollinger’s London agent heard a family member ask someone on the staff to bring up a bottle of his special cuvée from the cellar. In any definition of a non-vintage house style in Champagne, Bollinger’s ‘Special Cuvée’ is it. The tiny bubbles alone are stunning. The toasty, biscuity nose, the pure, dry attack with bits of fresh red (cherry) and white (peach) fruits and the complex mid-palate and finish will make you forget prosecco forever. Special Cuvée has aged a minimum three, sometimes four to five years before release, and there is, on average, 10 percent reserve wine in the blend, some as old as fifteen years. And 50 percent of all that wine is fermented in oak casks. The mix is 60/25/15 pinot noir/chardonnay/pinot meunier, and over 85 percent is off Grand Cru, or Premier Cru rated vineyards and with 50 hectares owned Bollinger’s they supply 70 percent of all grapes required. One of the best champagnes in the market for its class.Tasted: 27 July 2016Tasted by: Prices:
Champagne, FranceSpecial Cuvée is no ordinary multi-vintage champagne containing a high percentage of reserve wines some of which are aged in magnum. The wine is barrel and stainless steel fermented and aged from 5 to 15 years. The base blend is 50/50 mix of two vintages. The result is a complex, rich sparkler with fine bubbles and plenty of pear, grilled toast and nutty notes. Dries fruits and peach notes mark the refined spicy, brioche and nutty finish. A spectacular food wine from charcuterie to chicken or sashimi. The blend is 60/25/15 pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier. The denomination Special Cuvée was created in 1911 as a way to avoid calling what is an amazing champagne: "non-vintage". They were right.Tasted: 18 November 2012Tasted by: Prices:
Champagne, FranceThe denomination Special Cuvée was created in 1911 as a way to avoid calling what is an amazing champagne "non vintage". The Special Cuvée is the purest expression of the Bollinger style. Look for a very refined mousse and a lovely toasted biscuit nose. The textures are creamy with a nutty, citrus undercurrent. It's dry round and elegant on the palate with creamy textures and more citrus, baked apple, creamy, toasted flavours with a dried orange, nutty, fig finish. Fine acidity, balance and intensity, especially for a non vintage.Tasted: 28 December 2004Tasted by: Prices: