1997 Bollinger R.D.
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Tasting notes
Disgorged 7 Mar 2011. Full of contrasts. A difficult summer after a cold winter and flowering that resulted in some millerandage. Wet and with lots of mildew but then a hot, dry July and August. Cold, dry September with little rot. 65% Pinot Noir. 16 different villages. 75% grands crus. 9,400 kg/ha was the average yield. Initial potential alcohol 10.2%. Initial total acidity 8.4g/l. Final alcohol 12.3%. Firm mid gold. Steady bead. Very firm and meaty on the nose. This has come on a lot in a year! Surprisingly evolved on the nose. Really mouthfilling and with no particularly aggressive acidity. Very solid with a note of citrus peel. Firm, even slightly oxidative note even at this young age. Not an extra ounce of sugar! Solid and very much a food wine. Quite long. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 1997 Extra Brut R.D. needs quite a bit of air to open up. The wine shows tons of depth in a dark, dramatic expression of the vintage. Ripe apricots, pears, smoke, minerals and ash are some of the nuances that flow from this broad-shouldered, expansive Champagne. Once again, I find striking depth and detail in all dimensions of the wine. Personally, I am more inclined to the style of the Grande Année, but the 1997 R.D. is undoubtedly a gorgeous Champagne. This is an intense wine that needs to be paired with food. The 1997 R.D is 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay of which 75% is Grand Cru and 25% is Premier Cru. This is Lot L017935. Disgorged January 4th, 2010.
The 1997 Extra Brut R.D. needs quite a bit of air to open up. The wine shows tons of depth in a dark, dramatic expression of the vintage. Ripe apricots, pears, smoke, minerals and ash are some of the nuances that flow from this broad-shouldered, expansive Champagne. Once again, I find striking depth and detail in all dimensions of the wine. Personally, I am more inclined to the style of the Grande Annee, but the 1997 R.D. is undoubtedly a gorgeous Champagne. This is an intense wine that needs to be paired with food. The 1997 R.D is 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay of which 75% is Grand Cru and 25% is Premier Cru. This is Lot L017935. Disgorged January 4, 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2017. This is an exceptional set of new wines from Bollinger, one of Champagne’s historic houses. From top to bottom, there isn’t anything Bollinger isn’t doing well these days. I recently sat down with Chef de Caves Matthieu Kaufmann to taste through a range of the house’s 2009s. Readers will find notes on that tasting on www.erobertparker.com One of the distinguishing features of the Bollinger style is the aging of reserve wines in magnum under cork (not crown seal), a painstaking labor of love. Bollinger also has some of the most informative back labels among the region’s larger producers. It would be great to see Krug, Moet & Chandon, Roederer, Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot and a number of the region’s big houses follow suit. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900
(65% pinot noir and 35% chardonnay) Light yellow-gold. Expansive, smoky aromas of dried citrus fruits, peach, poached pear and honey, with a slow-building spiciness. Open-knit and gently sweet on entry, then tighter and more mineral-driven in the middle palate, offering lively orange and orchard fruit flavors and touches of nougat and praline. Smoothly melds richness and vivacity, finishing with superb clarity and nervy persistence. Here's yet another impressive 1997, a vintage which seems doomed to live in the shadow of 1995 and 1996. This was disgorged after aging for eight years in its bottle under cork.
About the producer
Bollinger is one of the most renowned and coveted Champagne Houses in the world, famous for its Pinot-Noir-dominant wines, in particular La Grande Année and the rare Vieilles Vignes Françaises (from pre-phylloxera vines).