R.D.
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2050
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted capon with wild mushrooms, aged Comté cheese, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Conceived by the visionary Madame Lily Bollinger in the mid-20th century and first released in 1967, Bollinger R.D. (Récemment Dégorgé) revolutionized the Champagne world. Madame Bollinger had the audacious idea to offer an older vintage that had been aged on its lees for an exceptionally long period and disgorged just prior to release. This method preserves an extraordinary tension between vibrant, youthful freshness and the profound, complex maturity of an aged wine. Sourced predominantly from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards, the blend is fermented in seasoned oak casks, maintaining the house's traditional craftsmanship. Aged under natural cork rather than crown caps, each bottle is hand-riddled and hand-disgorged, receiving a very low dosage (Extra Brut) to allow the pure, majestic character of the terroir and the vintage to shine through.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1829 in the grand cru village of Aÿ by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Renaudin, and Jacques Bollinger, Champagne Bollinger stands as one of the most revered and historic family-owned houses in the Champagne region of France. Built upon an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship, the estate is distinguished by its meticulous use of oak barrel fermentation, an on-site cooperage, and extensive cellar aging under natural cork. Pinot Noir forms the powerful, structured backbone of the house style, sourced predominantly from Bollinger's extensive holdings in premier and grand cru vineyards. The house is globally celebrated for its rich and complex cuvées, ranging from the signature Special Cuvée and vintage-dated La Grande Année to the legendary R.D. and the exceptionally rare, ungrafted Vieilles Vignes Françaises.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir ~60-70%, Chardonnay ~30-40%
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
12.5%