Fredriks bubblor – Champagne Bollinger

Bollinger som är grundat 1829, är ett legendariskt och anrikt champagnehus.
Kanske mest känt hos gemene man för sin medverkan i flertalet James Bond filmer. Den mest betydande personen i husets historia är Madame Lily Bollinger som vid 42 års ålder ärvde huset efter sin make, och som skapade en stor framgång runtom i världen för detta mytomspunna champagnehus.

Champagnen är inte lik någon annan och kännetecknas av sin mognad och kraftfullhet. Vinet är till stor del baserat på pinot noir och man låter första jäsningen ske i ekfat, ekfaten är begagnade bourgognefat och är alltså inte till för att ge smak till vinet, det är till för att behålla kontroll över oxidationen. Denna process är en del i att Bollinger blir så brödig, nötig och kraftfull att den klarar av det mesta i matväg.

I förra veckan genomförde vi en Bollingerprovning på Instagram. Den genomfördes på @BestChampagne.se och på @Mousserande.se samtidigt. Provningen finns kvar att se i efterhand om du inte kunde delta live, Du kan se den här.

Här nedan följer svar från Bollinger på frågor som dök upp i samband med provningen. Samt även vinerna som var med i provningen.

What in the process of making champagne is the hardest to have in control?

The quality and selection of the grapes. Everything starts from there. The rest, from fermentation to blending & ageing is a controllable process that Bollinger masters along our own technical parameters.

How can you make the Special Cuvée taste the same year after year?

The principle of a NV is consistency. Wherever you are located you are bound to enjoy the same taste of Special Cuvée and this throughout the years. This is where the mastering of blending still wines from the past harvest with reserve wines comes into place in order to get the same blend each year with 60% PN, 25% CH & 15% Meunier. These reserve wines include some quantity of older vintages kept in magnum under a low pressure to keep and enhance the wine aromas and contribute to the complexity & creaminess of Bollinger Special Cuvée & Bollinger Rosé.

When is RD 04 on its peak?

This wine has been kept on lees for a long time (over 12 years); it has & will experience different stages of evolution like as many ‘plateaux’. Therefore there is not one particular period when one can consider a peak; it depends on the consumer taste. If he prefers ‘freshness’ he will enjoy the RD 04 now. If he is looking for tertiary aromas (toastiness, dry fruitiness…) he should leave the wine in his cellar and if he luckily has a few bottles occasionally ‘sample’ one bottle every second year to gauge the evolution.

What else then the wood is the effect of making Bollingers typical style?

It is the combination of many factors including the selection of the best quality of fruit right after pressing (60% estate-grown), the care during fermentation (in oak barrel or stainless steel) and the mastering of selecting the appropriate still wines for each cuvée to produce the best blend should it become NV (Special Cuvée & Rosé)  or a vintage (la Grande Année…) and a lo dosage to express the fruitiness and density of the wine. One last important factor is the appropriate time to keep each bottle ageing on lees in our cellars.

What is your thoughts on storing LGA 2008 vs 2012, when are they ready to drink?

Both wine are (considered to be) outstanding with a great ageing potential because of the intrinsic quality of the fruit harvested and their respective blend always dominated by PN. If we were to select one to age a little longer/slower we choose LGA 2008. This wine is of the same wine as 1996 and 2002.

Is there now or in the future any plans to produce sec or demi-sec of Bollinger?

No. it would contradict our style to keep a low dosage for our wines.

After 2008 vintage, what are your favorites and why?

Is there any child of yours that you prefer?!

How is 2020 looking this far?

Pretty warm spring, flowering took place 15 days earlier than usual. We are aiming at another late August harvest. Bunches are showing good. No disease so far. So we are looking for a fine quality fruit to be harvested as of today. Unfortunately, whatever the quality, the yields will have to be reduced in order to prevent an overproduction of wine to be stored as a consequence of the crisis the champagne industry has been going through for 2 years now and that is being amplified by the covid 19. Bollinger won’t be hurt dramatically but many larger champagne houses or small producers selling cheap champagne to supermarkets will suffer…

Fredriks bubblor – Champagne Bollinger

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