Bollinger Brut Pinot Noir Ayc18
| Description: | Nicknamed "The Red Burgundy House," every Bollinger Champagne has at least 60% Pinot Noir in the blend. Nearly 70% of Bollinger's grapes come from their own estate vineyards which are largely centered around A, Champagne's historic Pinot Noir epicenter, where the Maison farms fifty fabulous acres. Their other holdings consist of parcels in the surrounding villages of Tauxires-Mutry, Avenay-val-d'Or, and Louvois plus Verzenay vines on the northeast edge of the Montagne Reims. In 2020 Bollinger's late Chef de Caves Gilles Desctes debuted his limited edition Bollinger Pn Vz15 Cuve (featuring Pinot Noir from Verzenay) to join the firm's eighteen-hundred-dollars-a-bottle Vieilles Vignes Francaise as the second 100% Pinot Noir Champagne in the lineup. The concept behind Desctes' Bollinger Pn bottlings was to showcase a particular Pinot Noir cru to reveal that village's distinctive terroir and flavor signature and to offer it at a non-stratospheric price. The Pn Vz15 was followed by the Pn Vz16 and the Pn Tx16 (Tauxires-Mutry) bottlings all of which have received high critical praise. We were especially excited though, this year, when we heard that the fourth Bollinger Pn Ayc 18 edition was being released because it is first in the series to feature the house's prized Pinot Noir plantings in A. Well, we fell instantly in love with the subtle majesty and persistence of the wine, it really felt like we had the very soul of Bollinger in our glasses. We knew at once that this was a classic in the making so we decided to buy all we could get. Happily, in the process we were able to negotiate a sharper price and pass on the savings. The Ayc 18 is based (53%) on the warm, early ripening 2018 harvest combined with reserve stocks largely from 2009 Verzenay Pinot Nor (drawn from magnums) plus dollops from 2017 and 2016. The 2018 component was fermented half in oak and half in tanks and finished with a light dosage of 6 grams/liter. The power of the 2018 season is on display with its dense red fruit core of A Pinot Noir complexed with citrus, quince and brown spices. The Ayc 18's silky feel is augmented by the barrel fermentation inflections that impart an easy-going drive and length. In short, this is a fabulous, four-square sort of Champagne that could only have come from the cellars of Bollinger and one that is still nowhere near it peak. Wine Advocate 94 Points - "Based on the 2018 vintage, complemented by reserve wines aged in magnum dating back to 2009, Bollinger's newly released Nv Brut Blanc de Noirs Pn Ayc18 was disgorged this year with six grams per liter dosage. Foregrounding the village of A, a commune crucial to Bollinger's distinctive style, the wine wafts from the glass with aromas of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, buttered toast, freshly baked bread and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an ample core of fruit that's girdled by lively acids and animated by an elegant pinpoint mousse, this suave, charming Champagne concludes with a chalky finish. This has turned out beautifully.". Decanter 94 Points -""a wine of constant surprise and contrast, first with the heat and generosity of 2018 offering up voluminous roasted apricots and apples, a bittersweet orange citrus and peach kernel richness, a surprisingly silky and flowing mousse and finally an intriguing, smoky, reductive element coming from the magnum reserve wines. Its a hugely engaging, detailed and rewarding wine, bold but refined. 100% Pinot Noir, predominantly from A, with support from the villages of Tauxires and Verzenay. Based on the 2018 vintage, with 50% reserve wines back to 2009. Drinking Window: 2024-2029.". Wine Spectator 93 Points - "Mouthwatering and finely meshed, with density to the satiny texture, this marries bright acidity with flavors of ripe white cherry, biscuit, pickled ginger and candied grapefruit peel. Opens slowly on the palate, revealing layers of fragrant spices, mineral and dried flowers on the finish." |
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| Price: | $ 119.95 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
Available from Hi-Time Wine Cellars
| Address: |
250 Ogle Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 United States |
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| Telephone (toll-free): | 800-331-3005 |
| Telephone (regular): | 949-650-8463 |
| Fax: | 949-631-6863 |
First added to 1000 Corks on October 9, 2023.
