BOLLINGER - RD 1996

Details

Description:
Limited Stocks.

R.D. ('recently disgorged') was proposed for the first time by Madame Bollinger in 1961 on the basis of the 1952 vintage. This concept is unique, absolutely without equivalent in Champagne.

In terms of blending, R.D. is a Grand Annee, but a Grande Annee that has aged in the Bollinger cellars for a longer period: a minimum of eight years and up to 20-25 years.

This slow maturation allows for reinforcing the aromatic subtlety and complexity of the wine, developing a highly original style recognised and appreciated by connoisseurs of great wines.

R.D. is also a recent disgorging that guarantees unique freshness and vivacity as regards the wine's venerable age and which allows the aromas to fully express themselves.

In order to inform the consumer the disgorging date is printed on the label.

By nature, the R.D. boasts a nearly-unlimited capacity for conservation, before of after disgorging.

R.D. is an 'extra-brut', i.e. the dosage is very low (less than 5 grammes of sugar per litre).

Producer: Bollinger - www.champagne-bollinger.fr
ABV: 12%
Country of Origin: France
Region: Champagne
Vintage: 1996

Category(s): Champagne
Group(s): Champagne Gifts , Mother's Day , Valentine's Day

Pricing

Size	Availability	Price	Unit Price	Buy	Desire
75cl Bottle	Immediate	£ 139.69		Add to Basket	Add to WishList

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Producer Information

The Bollinger vineyard estate is the foremost guarantee of the quality and consistency of the House's wines.
With 152 hectares (375 acres) of vineyards situated in the best villages, Bollinger is one of very few Champagne Houses to supply two thirds of its own grape requirements. The remainder is assured by long-term contracts with growers who supply Bollinger with grapes or grape must. The House of Bollinger selected a limited number of villages: about thirty situated in the heart of the Champagne area, in the grands crus and premiers crus. The Bollinger style is derived from Pinot Noir grapes. These are grown in the very best crus, particularly in the most famous of these, the grands crus of Ay, Bouzy and Verzenay.
Primary fermentation reveals the character and style of each individual cru.
After the grapes have been crushed, Bollinger retains only the best juice from the first pressing, known as cuvée. The taille, which is produced by the second pressing, is sold off. If, however, the harvest is excellent, the House of Bollinger will keep the taille from the Chardonnay.
Primary fermentation is carried out separately for each individual cru and for each grape variety in small tanks or barrels in order to follow the typicity of each parcel of vineyard. Bollinger is one of the last Houses to practice fermentation in wood in small oak barrels.
The House of Bollinger employs the last cooper of Champagne.
Unlike many Champagne Houses, Bollinger only produces two different blends: that designed for the Special Cuvée, and that which will become Grande Année. Following the harvest period, Bollinger's decisions on blending are not made before January. The blend for the Special Cuvée is an ideal version of the classic Champagne blend, using the different grapes of a given year from a variety of crus, with the addition of older, reserve wines. This blend necessarily incorporates subtle variations each year whilst remaining consistent to a style. It is, therefore, the hardest of all to make. It contains the full expression of the Bollinger style and the House feels it should be judged on this - its benchmark wine.
The Grande Année blend comes only from a particularly fine harvest. When such a harvest occurs the House selects its best wines, cru by cru and grape variety by grape variety - the key to the particular year. The R.D. is simply a logical extension of this approach taken further by extended the ageing on lees.
The Bollinger's champagnes age in the cellars far more than is required by the Appellation rules. Another particularity in the case of the Grande Annee is that the House of Bollinger prefers cork stoppers to crown-caps.