Bollinger Grande Annee Brut Champagne 2005

93 Points - The Wine Advocate"The 2000 Brut La Grande Annee shows incredible elegance and finesse in a mid-weight, totally sublime style. The wine remains fresh and nuanced throughout, with a polished mousse and exceptional overall balance. Notes of toastiness come to life on the long, creamy finish. The Grande Annee is 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay sourced from 76% Grand Cru and 24% Premier Cru vineyards. This bottle was disgorged in January, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020."93 Points - International Wine Cellar"Light, bright gold with an energetic bead. Precise lemon zest and orange aromas are complemented by deeper notes of pear skin, honey, almond and chamomile, with a subtle mineral quality gaining strength with air. Youthful and surprisingly lithe for a wine from this house, with spicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors joined by smoky minerality and nuttiness on the back end. The honey note returns on the long, spicy sappy finish. I like this wine's balance and cut."92 Points - Wine Spectator"A full, robust Champagne, delivering plenty of gingerbread, toast and citrus aromas and flavors. Balanced in an extroverted way, with a fine texture, this is approachable now. Should continue to develop. Drink now through 2020."Winemaker's notes:The grapes come exclusively from Grands and Premiers Crus. 17 villages have entered in the 1999 blend, 82% from Grands Crus and 18% from Premiers Crus. The blend of La Grande Anne 1999 is composed of 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay.La Grande Anne is the Prestige Cuve of Champagne Bollinger. It is only produced when exceptional quality harvests occur, and is the expression of Bollinger's know-how. More than the illustration of the vintage particularity, La Grande Anne is the result of the Bollinger style, of its exceptional "terroir" and traditional wine making techniques. La Grande Anne develops a beautiful rounded structure and combines rich, complex and intense aromas, the expression of which changes according to the characteristics of the vintage.

This is a cracker of a wine, it's layered and complex with freshly baked bread, lemon tart, apple pie, cinnamon, spice, toast and a whiff of smokiness. There is a comforting richness on the palate which is full of mineral laced citrus fruits, spice, chalk and herbal hints. It's fresh, vivacious, displays harmony and a refreshing acidity on the lingering finish.

Wine Tasting NotesLa Grande Annee is the Prestige Cuvee of Champagne Bollinger. It is only produced when exceptional quality harvests occur, and is the expression of Bollinger's know-how. More than the illustration of the vintage particularity, La Grande Annee is the result of the Bollinger style, of its exceptional terroir and traditional wine making techniques. La Grande Annee develops a beautiful rounded structure and combines rich, complex and intense aromas.

1999 Bollinger, 'Brut Grande Annee: The grapes come exclusively from Grands and Premiers Crus. 17 villages have entered in the 1999 blend, 82% from Grands Crus and 18% from Premiers Crus. The blend of La Grande AnnÏ¿½e 1999 is

A very special bottling from the historic Bollinger house. This rosé is made only in perfectly ripe vintages. Red wine from the La Côte au Enfants plot in Aÿ is added to blend to create this true expression of terroir.

Für einen Jahrgangswein in der Champagne muss hinsichtlich der Qualität ein besonderes Jahr vorliegen. Ausserdem müssen die Trauben vollkommen ausgereift sein, und es muss gerechtfertigt sein, dass die Zusammensetzung einer Assemblage nur aus Weinen des betreffenden Jahres besteht. Diese Jahre sind selten, aber aus ihnen entstehen Weine, in denen sich alle Eigenschaften des Terroirs wiederfinden und die das Prestige der Champagne ausmachen - und das gilt für alle Weine. Champagne Bollinger bleibt der Tradition der Champagne treu und produziert in diesen besonderen Jahren nur eine einzige Assemblage des betreffenden Jahrgangs: die Grande Année. Diese Grande Année ist Ausdruck ihrer Kunstfertigkeit. Denn in diesem Champagner findet sich nicht nur der einzigartige Charakter des Jahres, aus dem sie hervorgegangen ist. Sie ist auch Ergebnis des «Style Bollinger», ihres aussergewöhnlichen Terroirs und ihrer traditionellen Ausbaumethoden. Die Grande Année entwickelt eine erhabene Weinigkeit, intensive, reiche und vielfältige Aromen, deren Vielfalt je nach Beschaffenheit des Jahrgangs variiert.

($125; disgorged December, 2006) Pale straw. Vibrant, exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh pear and nectarine, with a wild spicecake quality adding complexity. Cinnamon-accented orchard fruit flavors are strikingly precise and palate-coating. Del... Stephen Tanzers IWC. A Champagne Blend wine from Champagne in France. 1999 Bollinger Grande Annee 750ml