Wine Advisor
Bollinger, R.D. Extra Brut 2004
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Description
Non-Vintage Champagne is the most common type of Champagne on the market. Only the best grapes in exceptional years are used to create a Vintage Champagne. A premium Vintage Champagne is typically aged for more than 7 years. Bollinger R.D. series champagne is aged 10-15 years before release. It embodies the House’s commitment to excellence, in honour of those who expect exceptional quality without fail. Spent aging on the lees results in an extraordinary range of primary, secondary and tertiary characteristics that come in a frame of almost unimaginable tension of developed richness and freshness. This champagne is sourced from a total of 14 crus, 91% of which are Grand Cru and 9% of which are Premier Cru. It is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. The colour is medium shiny gold, with a lively mousse. The nose is open and fresh, subtle fruit notes, acacia honey, fresh walnut flesh, wild fennel, draw you in with a hint of oriental spice and a cool freshness.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Bollinger’s 2004 R.D., tasted from magnum, is all class. Silky and understated, the R.D is super-expressive and inviting today. In 2004, the R.D. is decidedly light on its feet and more perfumed than tends to be the norm at Bollinger. Candied lemon peel, mint, apricot, pastry and yellow fruits are all laced together in a Champagne that delivers the goods. The 2004 is 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay picked between September 25 and October 8. Disgorged: November 21, 2017.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2004 Extra-Brut R.D. is a very pretty, understated Champagne that shows the more nuanced side that is typical of the vintage, while the signature Bollinger richness lies more in the background. That is the same impression I had last year, when I tasted the 2004 from magnum at the maison. Apricot, plum, hazelnut, chamomile, spice and dried flowers all open with a bit of aeration. The R.D. is not an obvious or overt Champagne, but it is quite beautiful. It will be interesting to see if a bit more richness develops post-disgorgement. The 2004 is 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay taken from 16 villages, 88% Grand Crus and 12% Premier Crus. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.
About the Producer
Established in the commune of Aÿ-Champagne in 1829, the House of Bollinger is home to an impressive legacy of winemaking excellence, achieved through the polished precision of a finely tuned timepiece. Today, the Bollinger Champagne House reigns over 440 acres dedicated to the vine in the Champagne region of northern France, of which an impressive 85% is classified Grand Cru or Premier Cru. The vineyards are spread out over 7 main communes. Pinot Noir is planted in Ay (the headquarters of the House), as well as Avenay, Verzenay, Louvois and Tauxieres. Meanwhile, the House’s Chardonnay comes from Cuis, while Pinot Meunier is planted in Champvoisy. A complex and powerful grape, Pinot Noir represents 60% of the total plantings, which corresponds to the exact proportion of this grape variety in the blend of the House’s signature Special Cuvee. The two crown gems of the House are its twin plots, the Clos Saint-Jacques and Chaudes Terres, where ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines are tended to by hand, their fruit used to produce the very exclusive and rare Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises cuvee.
