{"product_id":"bollinger-la-grande-annee-brut-champagne-2018-champagne-france-xx","title":"Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut Champagne 2018 (Champagne, France) - [VM 96] [FS 96] [RJ 96] [WA 94+] [DM 94]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this Wine:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSince 1829, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBollinger\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e has been producing great Champagnes with a powerful, sophisticated and complex style.  \u003c\/span\u003eIn 2006, the prestigious French wine magazine La Revue du Vin de France surveyed the most significant group of sommeliers and wine writers to help select the top 50 Champagne Houses. This would be regarded as the flag-bearer for the greatness of Champagne as a unique wine region. Bollinger was selected as the Number #1 House by this group. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eTheir dry, toasty style\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis instantly recognizable, \u003c\/span\u003eas six generations of the Bollinger family have maintained that trademark style. Bollinger is one of the rare Grande Marque houses to be owned, controlled and managed by the same family since it was founded.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eWith 399 acres of vineyards situated in the best Grands Crus and Premiers Crus villages, Bollinger relies on its own estate for nearly two-thirds of its grape requirements, including the Pinot Noir that gives its Champagne its distinctive roundness and elegance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout this Vintage:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wine-assembly__text__description\" data-v-4293dd2d=\"\"\u003eLa Grande Année 2018 is a blend of 19 crus, mainly from Verzenay, Aÿ, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ for the 66% Pinot Noir, and Chouilly and Cuis for the 34% Chardonnay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wine-assembly__text__description\" data-v-4293dd2d=\"\"\u003eFermentation takes place entirely in oak barrels and maturation occurs under cork, with aging in the cellar lasting more than twice as long as required by the appellation rules. The dosage is moderate at 6 grams per liter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-v-4293dd2d=\"\" class=\"wine-assembly__text__description\"\u003eTo the eye: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA golden yellow color, reflecting the wine's maturity, but also Bollinger's winemaking methods.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-v-4293dd2d=\"\" class=\"wine-assembly__text__description\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTo the nose: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe initial nose bursts with fresh citrus and Granny Smith apple, enhanced by notes of orchard fruits: white peach, apricot, and mirabelle plum. When aerated, fresh almond comes through amid aromas of breadcrumbs and acacia honey. This aromatic harmony is organized around a beautiful central theme, where citrus and mineral notes mingle with a delicate touch of white peony.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-v-4293dd2d=\"\" class=\"wine-assembly__text__description\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn the palate: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA structured and balanced palate, revealing notes of stewed fruit and quince. The texture gradually mellows, offering a creamy effervescence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eRatings \u0026amp; Reviews\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e96 Points - Vinous Media:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBollinger’s 2018 La Grande Année is quite pretty and delicate. Floral and citrus notes are nicely lifted in a Grande Année that offers notable sensuality and grace. Hints of orchard fruit, chamomile, mint and chalk build through the mid-palate and into the taut, chiseled finish. There’s plenty of energy and focus. More importantly, this is a fine effort in a year marked by high yields in Champagne. I would give this a few years in the cellar. The 2018 is 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay from 19 villages, 73% Grand Cru and 37% Premier Cru. The core villages are Aÿ, Verzenay and Mareuil for Pinot Noir and Avize, Chouilly and Cuis for the Chardonnay. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\" - Antonio Galloni (May 2026)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 Points - Falstaff:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Complex bouquet with notes of ripe apple, pomelo and apricot. There are also hints of iodine and smoky, spicy nuances. Lots of citrus, yeasty notes and toast on the palate. Beautiful ripe acidity, lots of creaminess. Long finish characterized by nutty notes and a salty impression.\" - Dominik Vombach (Mar 2026)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 Points - Richard Juhlin:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"2018 is generally a vintage that was almost perfect. Despite that, the weather was very special and periodically changeable. The weather offered an immense rainy winter and spring and an extremely dry and very hot summer that perfectly compensated for the moisture and led to a record early harvest on August 23 for Pinot Noir and a week laterfor Chardonnay. Everything was harvested under perfect conditions. This led to both power and unexpected freshness in the wines despite the fact that the year's average temperaturewas even higher than in 2015, which produced less fresh and more bombastic champagne. 19% Ay, 19% Verzenay, 10% Mareuil-sur-Ay, 7% Avize, 6% Chouilly, 5%Cuis and 34% from the other 13 villages of Grand Cru and Premier Cru, there you have itthe composition this time. It is always interesting to compare the backbone ratio between Ay and Verzenay which is divided here into exactly equal proportions.Historically, Ay has always dominated the base emphatically, but with climate change,the proportion of stony and more acidic Verzenay is increasing. Of course, all wines are vinified in small oak barrels and this time La Grande Annee has been provided with adosage of 6 grams compared to 8 grams in the latest edition from 2015. It is also very interesting to compare these two vintages. If we start with the appearance, there is no doubt that 2015 was significantly deeper in color with bronze splashes and a deepgolden base tone at the same age. In 2018, the color is substantially lighter and the mousse is a bit livelier and faster in the glass.If 2015 was like a walk in the forest in autumn, 2018 is spring-winter just when nature is starting to wake up. Enormous expectant energy and an underlying well-hidden power that will be firing on all cylinders after 2035. A real knockout fist treacherously draped in silk gloves. Cold, fresh and sparkling notes of citrus and Granny Smith applesdance beautifully together with the more classic Bollinger notes of brioche and gunpowder-smoky minerality. Right now, there are more green apples here than red apples, more raspberries than peaches, more acacia and yellow roses than honeysuckle,more bitter almonds than hazelnuts, more cinnamon than tar, more shiitake mushrooms than cep, more butterscotch than chocolate, more light birch wood than heavy sauna notes.We are therefore dealing with a classic and extremely complex Bollinger with a bright energy. It is easy to be tempted to believe that the wine is lighter than it is because of the fresh elements camouflage the strength. The oak is not so pronounced aromatically, but its effect is still clear through the creamy and velvety palate that the wine conveys. Even the biscuity complexity that attracts our senses has part of its origin from the micro-oxidation via the oxygen exchange through the fibers of the small oak barrels. Many have made brilliant champagnes in 2018, but most are still shy and unredeemed and require long aging. This is not the case with Bollinger La Grande Annee. Here you can be part of a wonderful experience right away, although I personally will wait many years before I open my own bottles when the great depth has arrived.\" -Richard Juhlin (May 2026)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e94+ Points - Wine Advocate:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eOriginating 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.\" - Kristaps Karklins (Mar 2026)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e94 Points - Decanter Magazine:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e2018's generosity and open-knit structure yields an immediately fine, rewarding Grande Année full of white peach, grilled almond, sweet raspberry and blackberry Pinot fruit, held with customary Bollinger savour in some sea salt and briny restraint. There's a gentle apricot-skin grip speaking of the heat of the year, while a gentle fresh tang of dried citrus from Chardonnay keeps things moving. There's substance and fruit flesh up front here, but it's a less forceful wine than the 2015, well pitched for approaching in its first five years of life as well as beyond.\" – Tom Hewson (Mar 2026)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BREAKTHRU","offers":[{"title":"750 ml","offer_id":53375932301677,"sku":null,"price":185.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0481\/8940\/7391\/files\/BollingerLGA15.jpg?v=1762283815","url":"https:\/\/artisan.wine\/products\/bollinger-la-grande-annee-brut-champagne-2018-champagne-france-xx","provider":"Artisan W\u0026S","version":"1.0","type":"link"}