2008 Bollinger Grande Annee

Our dinner group started out with a superlative champagne that merits a separate thread:

2008 BOLLINGER LA GRANDE ANEE BRUT- this is the 2nd bottle I’ve opened from a recent purchase and both have been stellar with consistent notes of inviting aromas, a huge and savory taste profile, a rich and creamy mouthfeel and a long, welcomed finish that seals the deal; it’s comprised of 71% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay from 18 crus, mainly Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant for the Chardonnay; disgorged 10/18 with a dosage of 8 gpl; some of the notes included toasty brioche almost to a burnt state, honeyed lemon zest, orange peel, golden delicious apple and papaya; it seemed to expand in the glass and just get better and better; although it is very rich and full bodied, there’s an element of finesse that I expect to show up even more with time and take this to s super star status which it’s already close to now.

Cheers,
Blake
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Oof…more stuff to buy.

and a good buying decision to make if this style pleases- it’s truly a winner David.

I’m a complete novice with champagne and plan on opening this New Years day. Any suggestions on how long to open prior? Anything I should get for pairing? Any thoughts or tips, even what should be obvious is appreciated.

I drink my champagne way too fast so that probably isn’t much help!

Thanks Blake. Have you had the 2012? If so, how does this compare?

I used my wineaccess coupons/deals for the 08 and got a few bottles for $57.50 landed, which might have been my wine deal of the year.

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Can I be your padawan?

Blake, as I have been drinking a lot more Champagne over the last 5-10 years or so, I somehow have not had much if any wines from Bollinger. What other better Champagnes would compare their style with?

Ha! They have ridiculous new customer coupons (let me know if you want a link), frequent customer discounts, an Amex discount, etc and free shipping. And they can be stacked. Unfortunately, their wheelhouse is CA wines, and particularly they have gotten deep into private label cabs. They aren’t much good to me now, but I did get a fair amount of champagne at very good (or ridiculous) prices in the fall

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I prefer a good chill which for me is in the mid to high 40s and occurs shortly after removing the champagne from our frig which is set at 38 degrees. This is cooler than many others like, but it`s my preference and I still find the aromas, body and feel to not be shut down which happens when it’s too cold. I pour it immediately and then track it as it warms a bit and more flavors and other sensory components come forth.

It’s good to have a proper champagne glass that allows for the aromas and flavors to rise and evolve. I long ago moved away from the flutes which are too confining and limit the maximum expression and experience IMHO.

As to pairing, this is a big wine with loads of flavors. My notes above provide some insights as to what I experienced specifically. Pay particular attention to the toasty, honeyed, citrus and stone fruit notes that could be paired with some cheeses, breads and the like. Quite frankly, and again I’m probably in the minority here, I often drink wine and champagne as an aperitif and enjoy them without food. This bubbly is one that does not need anything else. Do the eye test, the nose test, the flavor test, the feel test and the end gee as to what the final lasting notes are. There’s so much to behold.

Hopefully, this helps and you have a fantastic experience. Share them if inclined.

Cheers

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Not Blake, but it’s a bit richer and more muscular, not quite as chiseled, and the Bollinger walnuts/dried orange rind a touch toned down out of the gates. Terrific wine, but I prefer the 2008. Brad will be along shortly to tell you the 2012 is better, I’m guessing!

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One of my favorite producers and this 2008 is the real deal.

That’s an easy one for me although some probably disagree, KRUG. Both ferment in oak barrels {as opposed to the more common use of stainless}, but in different ways, are pretty big and rich with toasty, honeyed fruit and creamy thick mouthfeel. Sometimes, I get that in Taittinger Comtes de Champagne especially when the bottle has some age on it and the Maillard reaction has occurred.

Both Bollie and Krug use a method that “pre-oxidizes” the wine, intentionally giving it a slight amount of air early in its life, to insulate it from oxidation later, in the bottle. Also, both age their wines longer on the yeast. There’s some differences too, but for this limited discussion, I’ll leave it at that.

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Hey Joe, Ditto

Funny last line William. Thanks for answering the post that I could not do. The 12 would have to do a whole lot to beat out the 08.

I’m a very big fan of the Bollinger house style…fortunately/unfortunately all of my 2008 is away at the offsite, but really appreciate the note checking in!

Thanks. Very interesting. I think some Burgundy producers are using the same method to try to fight premox. Also, I think Ramey advocated something similar in the interview (has been months since I listened to it). Search Results | I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk

Keeping young wines off premises is the best thing that I could do. Once my home cellar was in, I just could not resist opening up some such as the 08` Cristal. After 4 bottles in a few months with similar notes to hold and re-visit in a few years, I finally stuck my hands in my pockets.

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I think the Bollinger 2008 vs. 2012 question is not so simple. Today, side-by-side, I prefer the 2008 although I am not yet sold on its ability to continue to improve. With time, I think 2012 will be the better wine, but not by all that much. For me, both wines are within a margin of error where I won’t argue with anyone for preferring one over the other either today or tomorrow.

My thoughts are based on a few things: First Bollinger, had problems with numerous vintages prior to 2008. It was common for vintages to show high bottle variability with early oxidation, volatility, and rapid maturity often taking place. 2008 was the first recent vintage where IMO they started correcting the vintage wines. The combination of using some sulfur again at disgorgement, having an open mind with dosage, and jetting clearly helped. That said, I still have found some notes in the 2008 that point towards possible early maturity. This makes me wonder if it will remain balanced long enough to improve and reach its full potential. It is still a great wine and one I enjoy, but I don’t know how much better it will get. With the 2012, I see a cleaner, more precise wine and one that I believe will age more harmoniously and improve more over time.

Most importantly, both 2008 and 2012 are very, very good Grande Années and show that Bollinger is back and kicking some butt!

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