BollingerLaCoteauxEnfantsChampagne2014

Champagne Bollinger owns an impressive 178 hectares of vineyards, of which 85% are in Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. Their land is spread over seven main villages: Aÿ, Avenay, Louvois, Tauxières and Verzenay planted with Pinot Noir; Cuis with Chardonnay; and Champvoisy with Meunier. Bollinger are one of the few Houses to produce the majority of their own grapes for their blends. Pinot Noir represents 60% of the House’s vineyards and defines the House style: complex and powerful with remarkable structure. In 2012 Champagne Bollinger was certified High Environment Value (HEV) this certification rewards a number of environmental procedures implemented at the Maison.rrLa Cote aux Enfantsâ€?is a steep sided 4 hectare vineyard established by Jacques Bollinger between 1926 and 1934, buying up over 50 plots from many owners and planted to only Pinot Noir. This historic piece of land has two defining features: the south slope, which is vinified as a still red wine, and the north-west slope, which was the previously hidden side of the vineyard used exclusively to splice the blend in La Grande Année Rosé. Since 2012 the north-west facing slope provides the grapes for the new champagne Bollinger La Cote aux Enfants Champagne.rrWeather: 2014 was characterised by mild temperatures and frequent rainfall and a few weeks of high temperatures, a very solid vintage with good ripeness and acidity. Flowering began in June and summer was a combination of dry, wet and cold spells. Some regions saw some disease and Meunier in the Marne Valley didn’t have a great year and some of the Pinot Noir with its thinner skin made it more difficult for the red grapes. Harvest took place from 8th to 20th September. A year where it was necessary to select the red grapes carefully to maintain high quality. In general Chardonnay is the star of the vintage.rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Aÿ: La Cote aux EnfantsrGrape Varieties: 100% Pinot NoirrLees Ageing: 8 yearsrDisgorged: March 2023rDosage: 6 g/lrFermentation: 100% small old oak barrels.rProduction: 3,300 BottlesrDrink: Now to 2036+rrTasting Note: The rich nose oozes Pinot power with its stylishly charred, vanilla, almond, pastry and toffee tones. Silky is the main descriptor for the wine’s impressively vinous and smooth texture. Intensely fruity, there is still a refreshing feeling of lightness and freshness to this tense and compact wine. The tamed phenolics have a firming effect on the long-lasting aftertaste, where sweet pastry and honey tones carry on lingering.- Tasted by Essi Avellan MW