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Bollinger La Grande Année 2018

Bollinger • Vintage

$320.00

$272.00
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About the product

  • The latest release of Bollinger's prestige vintage cuvée, from a warm, generous year in Champagne
  • 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, sourced only from Grand and Premier Cru villages and vinified entirely in old oak barrels
  • Pair with roast chicken, seared scallops, aged Comté or a long lunch with people you love

La Grande Année is only made in years Bollinger considers exceptional, and 2018 earned its place. A hot, dry summer brought one of the earliest harvests on record, with picking starting on 23 August. It produced beautifully ripe, concentrated Pinot Noir, which is the backbone of the house style.

The blend draws on 19 crus. Aÿ, Verzenay and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ provide the Pinot Noir, and Avize, Chouilly and Cuis bring the Chardonnay's freshness and lift. As always, every bottle is riddled and disgorged by hand and finished with a restrained 6 g/L dosage.

In the glass, expect ripe orchard fruit, white peach and Mirabelle plum, with citrus peel, grilled almond and Bollinger's signature toasty, smoky depth from the oak. The palate is generous and textural, with a creamy mousse and a long, saline finish. It's open and rewarding now, and it will keep building complexity in the cellar for well over a decade.

This is also the final vintage crafted by former Chef de Cave Gilles Descôtes, which makes it a special bottle for collectors.

Bollinger La Grande Année 2018 is a generous and invigorating vintage champagne crafted from 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay across 19 crus. Vinified entirely in oak barrels and aged extensively under natural cork, it reveals fresh citrus, Granny Smith apple and ripe orchard fruits alongside almond, acacia and mineral notes, finishing with fruit compote, quince and a beautifully creamy effervescence.

Maker

Bollinger

Style

Vintage

Dosage

Brut
Bollinger

The Luxury of Time

Champagne Bollinger stands proudly as one of the most iconic and respected family-owned houses in all of Champagne. Founded in Aÿ, Bollinger has built a legacy around powerful, expressive Pinot Noir and an unwavering commitment to traditional winemaking methods. The house is renowned for fermenting all their wines in oak barrels—a practice they have never abandoned—and today they maintain their own in-house cooper, managing a remarkable stock of over 3,500 barrels. With approximately one million bottles fermented in barrel each year, Bollinger’s devotion to craftsmanship is unparalleled, matched only by a handful of producers like Krug. Every bottle speaks to generations of expertise, excellence, and an unrelenting pursuit of quality.

More about Bollinger
Food Pairings

La Grande Année 2018 is very much a gastronomic champagne, with Bollinger specifically recommending it be enjoyed alongside food. The Maison suggests pairings including tuna carpaccio, pan-fried veal with garlic and sage, herbed mountain cheese, and even poached pear with lemon verbena sorbet.

For a streamlined Emperor recommendation: tuna carpaccio, pan-seared veal, roast poultry, mature cheeses or poached pear.

Technical Notes

Vintage: 2018
Composition: 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay
Crus: 19
Key Pinot Noir Crus: Verzenay, Aÿ & Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Key Chardonnay Crus: Chouilly & Cuis
Pressing: Exclusively from the cuvée
Vinification: 100% barrel fermentation
Ageing: Cellar aged under natural cork for twice as long as required by the Appellation
Dosage: 6 g/L
Finishing: Riddled & disgorged by hand
Serving Temperature: 10–12°C
Cellaring: Ready to enjoy now or suitable for further cellar ageing

What to Expect

Yellow-gold in the glass, La Grande Année 2018 opens with vibrant fresh citrus and Granny Smith apple, followed by white peach, apricot and Mirabelle plum. As it develops in the glass, more complex notes of fresh almond, breadcrumbs and acacia emerge, balanced by mineral freshness and delicate white peony.

On the palate, it is structured and beautifully balanced, revealing flavours of fruit compote and quince. The texture gradually softens into a creamy, refined effervescence, giving the wine generosity while maintaining freshness and precision.