Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 94
The 2012 Grande Annee is vibrant and wonderfully nuanced. Citrus peel, orchard fruit, brioche, dried flowers and chamomile are all finely knit in a Grand Annee built on energy and persistence more than size. Readers will find a restrained Grand Annee in 2012. There is plenty of the textural richness that is such a signature of the house style, but I am also struck by the wine’s freshness. Best of all, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate. It is quite expressive today, even in the early going. (Originally published in August 2020)
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030
Wine Advocate 95
Disgorged in July 2019, Bollinger’s 2012 Brut La Grande Annee is showing well, offering up an incipiently complex bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, orange oil, toasted walnuts and dried apricot that’s still quite reserved with less than a year on cork. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, the 2012 is blockier and broader-shouldered than its 2008 predecessor, with a weightier and even more concentrated palate built around a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish that carries appreciably dry extract. This isn’t quite as elegant as the exquisite 2008, but it is a superb effort and obviously built to age.
Anticipated maturity: 2024-2050
JancisRobinson.com 17.5+
Bright creme patissiere nose with notes of Cox’s orange pippin apple and lots of development. Really quite arresting. Much drier on the palate than the nose suggests, with a certain steeliness. Bone-dry finish but lots of substance on the mid palate. More recognisably Bollinger on the palate than the surprisingly rich, flirtatious nose, presumably informed by the vintage. Low-key mousse. This is clearly a long-distance runner. (JR)
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2034
James Suckling 95
This makes a bold statement. Ripe, powerful and creamy with concentrated red-berry, nectarine, grapefruit and cashew aromas. I love the juiciness and brightness of this wine, which has such a long, graceful finish. Only 65% pinot noir, but it tastes like a lot more. 100% barrel fermentation and maturation. Drink or hold.
Jasper Morris 95
Bollinger s return to form continues. The oxidative style is present and correct, yet its character now comes (as it did historically) from its oak fermentation instead of oxidation from a lack of protection at disgorgement. The nose offers an overt bouquet of ripe pear with nutty overtones. The vanilla spice of oak is also present. On the palate, the firmness of the fruit is spliced with juicy apricots. Possessed with dazzling chalky acidity, this champagne retains a degree of crispness and the dry extract on the finish indicates a long life ahead. Alcohol 12.50%. Drink from 2026-2038. Tasted Oct 2023.
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2038
