by Bollinger
⏳ Drinking Window
2020 - 2040
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, lobster thermidor, or aged Comte cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
The year 2003 brought an unprecedented heatwave to Europe, resulting in the earliest harvest in Champagne since 1822. Rather than trying to force these extremely ripe grapes into their traditional Grande Annee blend, the house of Bollinger embraced the vintage's singular, dramatic personality. They crafted '2003 by Bollinger,' a unique, one-off cuvee that stands as a testament to the house's adaptability and mastery. Composed of approximately 74% Pinot Noir, mostly from the historic grand cru slopes of Ay, and 26% Chardonnay, this Champagne was fermented in old oak casks according to Bollinger's traditional methods. It represents a bold, opulent departure from their classic style, offering a rich, vinous profile characterized by baked fruits, honey, and toasted brioche, while retaining a surprising and elegant freshness.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1829 in Aÿ by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Renaudin, and Jacques Bollinger, Maison Bollinger endures as one of Champagne's preeminent independent, family-owned Grandes Marques. Its identity was indelibly forged under the visionary stewardship of Madame Lily Bollinger in the mid-twentieth century. The estate controls approximately 180 hectares of vineyards, dominated by Grand and Premier Cru parcels across the Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne, rooted in deep Belemnite chalk and limestone. Bollinger is celebrated for its Pinot Noir-centric architectural style, championing vinification in seasoned oak barrels, magnum reserve aging under natural cork, and extensive cellar maturation before disgorgement. The portfolio is epitomized by Special Cuvée and La Grande Année, reaching transcendental complexity in R.D. (Récemment Dégorgé) and the elusive Vieilles Vignes Françaises, produced from ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines trained en foule.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
N/A