R.D. 3rd Disgorgement
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2040
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted milk-fed veal with chanterelles, slow-cooked wild turbot in a rich butter sauce, or aged Comté cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
Bollinger's R.D. (Récemment Dégorgé) is a legendary monument in Champagne, born from the visionary mind of Madame Lily Bollinger in the mid-20th century. While the wine world of the 1960s favored young, fresh champagnes, Madame Bollinger dared to release older vintages that had spent over a decade on their lees, disgorging them just before release to preserve an extraordinary tension between mature complexity and vibrant freshness. The '3rd Disgorgement' represents an ultra-late, library release of this iconic cuvée, offering an even deeper exploration of time. Composed predominantly of Pinot Noir sourced from historic Grand and Premier Crus, the base wine is fermented in aged oak barrels—a signature Bollinger tradition—before embarking on its multi-decade maturation under natural cork. The result is a majestic Champagne of unparalleled depth, marked by notes of toasted brioche, dried honey, and truffle, underpinned by a striking, mineral-driven acidity.
🍾 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.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier