# La Grande Année Brut (2005)

- **Producer:** Champagne Bollinger
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
- **Region:** Champagne, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €150
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, pear, peach, grapefruit, orange, ginger, brioche, toast, biscuit, butter, honey, almond, hazelnut, dried apricot, dried fig

## About this wine

Champagne Bollinger is one of the few remaining family-owned, independent Champagne houses, celebrated worldwide for its rich, Pinot Noir-dominant style. La Grande Année is Bollinger's prestigious vintage cuvée, produced only in years of exceptional quality when the grapes achieve an ideal balance of maturity and acidity. The 2005 vintage was marked by a warm, dry growing season, yielding grapes with superb concentration and structural depth. This cuvée is crafted primarily from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards, showcasing the unique terroir of Aÿ and Verzenay for Pinot Noir, and Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for Chardonnay.

## Interesting facts

- La Grande Année is fermented entirely in old oak barrels, a rare traditional practice that Bollinger has preserved since its founding.
- Unlike most Champagnes aged under crown caps, Bollinger uses natural corks for the secondary fermentation of its prestige cuvées.
- Bollinger is the official Champagne of James Bond, appearing in numerous films since Live and Let Die in 1973.

## Food pairing

The rich, oxidative, and full-bodied nature of Bollinger La Grande Année, combined with its high acidity and fine effervescence, makes it an incredibly versatile food wine. It pairs beautifully with rich, textured proteins like duck, pork, and lobster, where the wine's acidity cuts through the fat, while its autolytic complexity mirrors earthy flavors like mushrooms and truffles.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for La Grande Année is deeply traditional and rigorous. Fermentation takes place entirely in old oak barrels (averaging 20 years of age), which encourages gentle micro-oxygenation and adds complex texture without imparting dominant oak flavors. Uniquely, the secondary fermentation in the bottle is sealed with a natural cork rather than a crown cap, requiring manual riddling and disgorgement after aging on the lees for several years. The dosage is kept low, typically around 6 grams per liter, to preserve the natural freshness, structure, and mineral precision of the vintage.