Wine Advisor
Bollinger, R.D. Extra Brut 2008
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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.
Only the best vintages are elevated to the level of Bollinger R.D. The 2008 vintage is characterised by its remarkable precision and splendour 18 Crus: predominantly from Ay andVerzenay for Pinot Noir and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant for Chardonnay Only the cuvee is used 100% barrel fermentation Ageing: Extremely long ageing - more than four times longer than required by the Appellation - initiates a truly alchemical process which infinitely transforms the wine's aromas. Ageing takes place under cork Recently disgorged: Bollinger R.D. is released only a few months after disgorgement. This recent disgorgement contributes to the wine's remarkable freshness Dosage: Low, 3 grammes per litre Appearance: A wine glimmering with golden reflections On the nose: Enticing aromas of marzipan, stewed apricots, honey, and breadcrumbs accompany fresh notes of bergamot On the palate: A rich, precise mousse. Citrus notes are followed by flavours of Mirabelle plums and vine peaches. A very vivacious wine which unfolds to reveal exceptional complexity. Notes of fresh hazelnut and salinity combine to create an extremely long finish.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Bollinger’s 2008 R.D. is a powerful, vinous Champagne. Apricot, dried pear, tangerine oil, hazelnut, dried flowers, chamomile and brioche all race across the palate. The 2008 boasts notable depth and textural intensity, with a feeling of phenolic, almost tannin-driven grip from the Pinot that propels the finish. At times the R.D. is quite exotic, even if there is a good kick of energy from the bright, salivating acids and low dosage. The 2008 R.D. is very much a Champagne for the dinner table, a wine that benefits immensely from aeration. In 2008, the blend comprises fruit from 18 villages, 71% Pinot Noir, mostly from Aÿ and Verzenay and 29% Chardonnay, mostly from Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. Dosage is 3 grams of dosage. I would give this a few more years in bottle to fully come together. Disgorged: October 28, 2022.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Bollinger’s 2008 R.D. is a powerful, vinous Champagne. Apricot, dried pear, tangerine oil, hazelnut, dried flowers, chamomile and brioche all race across the palate. The 2008 boasts notable depth and textural intensity, with a feeling of phenolic, almost tannin-driven grip from the Pinot that propels the finish. At times the R.D. is quite exotic, even if there is a good kick of energy from the bright, salivating acids and low dosage. The 2008 R.D. is very much a Champagne for the dinner table, a wine that benefits immensely from aeration. In 2008, the blend comprises fruit from 18 villages, 71% Pinot Noir, mostly from Aÿ and Verzenay and 29% Chardonnay, mostly from Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. Dosage is 3 grams of dosage. I would give this a few more years in bottle to fully come together. Disgorged: October 28, 2022.
Reviewed by: Kristaps Karklins
Disgorged in October 2024 with a dosage of three grams per liter, the 2008 Extra-Brut R.D. is superb, offering a bouquet of Granny Smith apple, pomelo and almond paste, mingled with white sandwich bread and oystershell. The medium- to full-bodied palate reveals a deep, vibrant core of fruit, underpinned by racy acidity and framed by high levels of structuring dry extract that assert themselves on the sapid, precise finish. This is a brilliant wine, built to age gracefully on its acidity, and it stands as one of the greatest achievements of the vintage. Its lower dosage, to my palate, also gives it the edge over La Grande Année in terms of energy and aromatic definition.
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.
