Who of you has never heard about the legendary agent 007?  I think that at least a couple of movies about the hero of British intelligence, charming, fearless and almost invulnerable James Bond you have seen.

Bond was famous for his impeccable style and charisma, loved expensive sports cars, collectible watches and dry martinis with vodka, the simple recipe for this cocktail became a winged phrase for many fans: «Shaken but not mixed».

However, do you remember which champagne Agent 007 preferred? In Live and Let Die, my favorite Bond film, he orders a bottle of the legendary 1969 Bollinger RD. Yes, Jems knew not only about beautiful women, but also about good champagne;

Bollinger is synonymous with high quality champagne. I would be delighted to receive such a gift!

The story of Bollinger began in 1829, when French aristocrat Athanase de Villermont inherited a huge estate from his family on the outskirts of the town of Ai. He joined forces with Jacques Bolinger and Paul Renodin to create the home of Champagne wines. Aÿ is one of the great wine-growing places of Champagne, home to some of the most precious pinot meunier vines (if you find yourself there, be sure to sign up for a Bollinger tour).

The story is full of romance: Bolinger came to France as a sales agent, but he fell in love not only with champagne, but also with Villermont's daughter. That's how this family story began.

From the very beginning, Bollinger focused on exports to Great Britain, so it is not surprising that English aristocrats quickly fell in love with its rich style. By the way, it was the British Queen Victoria gave this manufacturer a royal warrant, which is a sign of recognition of quality. In 2024, Charles III reserved this status for Bollinger.

Madame Lili Bolinger brought the house special fame. She took over after her husband's death in 1941 and not only kept the house afloat during the war, but also took it to the next level, following the motto: «I drink champagne when I am happy and when I am sad».

Today, Bollinger produces a broad line of wines, each of which is aged, balanced and recognizable;

- Bollinger Special Cuvée is the house's calling card, a rich and structured Champagne with notes of roasted apples, brioche and nuts. The blend is aged for a minimum of three years, instead of the established minimum of 15 months. 

- Bollinger Rosé - a powerful and intense pink champagne with the addition of red wine from the vineyards of Ai. The bouquet offers bright notes of wild berries, cherries and spices.

- La Grande Année is a vintage wine created only in the best years, fermented in oak. Aged on the lees for over seven years. Intense, layered, with a mineral backbone.

- R.D. (Récemment Dégorgé) is a very rare Champagne that is degorged just before release after a long aging on the lees (sometimes over 10 years). This is the wine that Bond drank in Live and Let Die.

- PN Series is a series that Bollinger introduced in 2020. The wine is 100% made from pinot noir. The two letters in the name, PN, stand for this grape variety. Each release is dedicated to a specific Grand Cru village: PN VZ15 (Verzenay), PN TX17 (Tozières), PN AYC18 (Ai). These are deep and textural Champagnes, demonstrating how much pinot noir can change depending on the origin. Wines from this range are characterized by richness, salty-mineral undertones and a terrific length of aftertaste. 

Special approach

The House of Bollinger stands out for doing things a little differently than most other manufacturers in the region. It has always gone its own way, and it shows in the details.

First, Bollinger is one of the few houses in Champagne that still uses old oak barrels (228 liters) for the primary fermentation of most wines. Why? For the subtle oxidation that gives the wine notes of nuttiness, honey and baked goods. The house uses about 4,000 barrels, and it even has its own cooper!

Secondly, for blending Special Cuvée and other non-millésime wines, which are made from grapes from different vintages, the house stores them in magnums under natural cork for up to 15 years. It's incredibly time-consuming and expensive, but it yields exceptional flexibility and depth of flavor. Thanks to this approach, even the basic Bollinger Champagne has superb maturity and complexity.

The house owns more than 170 hectares of vineyards, 85% are Grand Cru and Premier Cru. Bollinger is generally very fond of the pinot noir variety. Most wines have at least 60% of it. It gives the wine body, power and incredible persistence over time;

Another interesting fact about Bollinger is that the company produces not only champagne, but also a quiet red wine. And a truly rare, structured and complex pinot noir, La Côte aux Enfants.

The grapes for this wine are taken from the plot of the same name in Ai. The plot is quite tiny, about 4 hectares, and almost the entire harvest from it is usually used to create red wine, which is added to the Bollinger Rosé rosé champagne. But in particularly successful years, the house produces La Côte aux Enfants, made according to classic Burgundian canons. It is produced in very small quantities and rarely leaves the borders of France. If you are lucky enough to find it, take it into your collection.  You will be able to sell such a treasure in five years at a much higher price.

Bollinger is a house with character. It does not try to please everyone, but stays true to itself, its history and style. These wines are not about lightness and carefree, but about structure, maturity and gastronomy.

When I have the good fortune to open a bottle of Bollinger, I know in advance that the evening (or morning) is going to be special. I am sure I am drinking a great champagne.

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