Champagne Bollinger
PN AYC18
Champagne, France
PN, made entirely from Pinot Noir to underscore the very essence and DNA of the House style, is the first new cuvée added to Bollinger’s permanent range since rosé in 2008. Each release of PN, developed as a series to bring Bollinger’s unique vision of Pinot Noir to light, will showcase a different cru from the base year that highlights its distinctive terroir and taste.
VINEYARD
The fruit is predominantly sourced from Aÿ (53% from 2018), a grand cru village yielding wines that are ripe and succulent. Pinot Noir fruit from Tauxières and Verzenay were added to PN AYC18 to add aromatic synergy and complexity.
WINEMAKING
Cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appellation. The addition of about 20% reserve wines add to the wine’s exceptional aromatic intensity, especially the Pinots Noirs aged in magnums for at least 7 years.
Dosage: 6 g/L
VINTAGE
While PN is a non-vintage, 53% of the fruit comes from 2018. Therefore, the different reserve wines (aged in vats, or in reserve magnums for the oldest examples) make up 47% of the blend. The oldest wine in the blend of PN AYC18 comes from the 2009 vintage.
TASTING NOTE
Notes of honey, fruit jellies , quince and candied citrus. Aromas of marzipan and blood orange compliment a nose full of sweet spices and a refreshing hint of menthol. Serious, understated and rich, beautifully expansive with a finish full of confit citrus which enhances the wine’s freshness.
Food Pairing
Tomme des Ardennes cheese, millefeuille, tonka bean-infused chutney. Roast quail, dried apricots and honey-lemon sauce. Chaource cheese
Color
White
Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Champagne, France
Farming
Champagne Bollinger supports sustainable wine growing by grassing over the ground, using biological pest control, reducing the use of herbicides, recycling pruning waste, and planting hedges and orchards to encourage biodiversity. The Côte aux Enfants vineyard is managed organically.
Alcohol
12.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$170
Reviews
"Sizzles with energy"
Vinous - July 5, 2023
"Tense and vibrant, with notable saline intensity, the AYC (based on Aÿ) sizzles with energy. Dried pear, crushed flowers, mint, sage, chalk and light pastry notes all race across the palate. This release is 53% 2018 and 47% reserve wines, a big part of which are Bollinger’s famous reserve magnums (in this case 2009 Verzenay Pinot), plus dollops of 2017 and 2016 wines. The 2018 was done in equal parts oak and tank. Dosage is 6 grams per liter, but the impression is of a slightly drier style. The combination of a very warm base vintage blended with a high proportion of reserve wines yields a Champagne of notable complexity and texture. " - A.G. 6/2023
"Dried flowers"
Wine Spectator - September 13, 2023
"Mouthwatering and finely meshed, with density to the satiny texture, this marries bright acidity with flavors of ripe white cherry, biscuit, pickled ginger and candied grapefruit peel. Opens slowly on the palate, revealing layers of fragrant spices, mineral and dried flowers on the finish." - A.N. 8/23
"Freshly baked bread and dried white flowers"
Wine Advocate - December 15, 2023
"Based on the 2018 vintage, complemented by reserve wines aged in magnum dating back to 2009, Bollinger's newly released NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN AYC18 was disgorged this year with six grams per liter dosage. Foregrounding the village of Aÿ, a commune crucial to Bollinger's distinctive style, the wine wafts from the glass with aromas of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, buttered toast, freshly baked bread and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an ample core of fruit that's girdled by lively acids and animated by an elegant pinpoint mousse, this suave, charming Champagne concludes with a chalky finish. This has turned out beautifully." - W.K. 12/23
More on Champagne Bollinger PN AYC18
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Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
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Established by Jacques Bollinger between 1926 and 1934, La Côte aux Enfants is a steep hillside vineyard located on the outskirts of Aÿ. This unique parcel has been a source of endless fascination, producing some of the most highly prized Pinot Noir in the region. Aware of its potential, it became Champagne Bollinger’s ambition to produce a great vintage Champagne exclusively from this vineyard, with 100% Pinot Noir. The fruit comes from the north-west side of the hill, revealing a particularly refined expression of La Côte aux Enfants vineyard.
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A stunning and extremely rare, still red wine produced only for the greatest vintages. This wine harmoniously combines 100% Pinot Noir Grand Cru fruit from an exceptional vineyard with traditional Burgundian style winemaking. Historically, Pinot Noirs from Aÿ were the most popular wines of the French court, specifically a favorite of King Henri IV, and La Côte aux Enfants comes from a steep plot just outside of the village. This wine is the purest expression of Pinot Noir, offering a fine, delicate texture in the mouth, and a tautness giving it a beautifully long finish.
La Grande Année Rosé
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