Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2015

Winery Background and History

Champagne Bollinger was founded in 1829 in Aÿ and is known for its rich, oxidative, Pinot Noir–driven style. It remains one of the few major Champagne houses still family controlled. Bollinger has long emphasized extended aging, oak fermentations, and reserve magnums to build complexity and structure. The Rosé version of their prestige cuvée, La Grande Année Rosé, is a rarer expression, blending the white vintage base with red wine from their own Côte aux Enfants parcel to add nuance, color, and texture. 

Producer and Wine Maker

The wine is made by Bollinger’s in-house technical and blending team in Aÿ. It is based on the La Grande Année (vintage blend) and enriched with ~5% red wine from Côte aux Enfants. All fermentations are done in oak barrels, and the team manages lees aging, dosage, riddling, and manual disgorgement to maintain precision and finesse. 

Vineyards and Micro Climate

The base blend is drawn from 11 different crus: ~62 % Pinot Noir (from Verzenay, Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ) and ~38 % Chardonnay (from Chouilly, Avize, others) in 2015. The red wine part comes from the Côte aux Enfants vineyard in Aÿ. The climate is Champagne’s cool continental Atlantic influence, with tempered conditions and marked vintage variation. 

Vinification & Aging Methods

Everything is vinified in oak barrels. The base wines undergo both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel. The wine is aged for many years on lees under cork (well over the legal period) before disgorgement. The rosé includes ~5 % of red wine in the blend. Dosage is moderate (~8 g/L for 2015). 

Tasting notes

Color: pale copper to pink hue. Aromas: red berries (strawberry, cherry), citrus peel, brioche, toasted almond, subtle spice. On the palate: energetic and refined, with red fruit flavors (blood orange, cherry), a fine mousse, mineral underpinning, gentle tannic grip from the red wine addition, and a long finish edged with salinity and toasted notes. 

Food & Wine Pairing

Pairs beautifully with lobster, shellfish, salmon sashimi, roast duck, game birds, foie gras, and red fruit desserts. Because of its structure, it can also accompany richer dishes like lamb with berry sauce or poultry in reduction.

Service Methods and Temperatures

Serve chilled at 8-10 °C. Use a Champagne or tulip glass to preserve mousse and aromatics. No decanting; pour gently and allow a brief moment in the glass to open.

Storage and Aging Potential

This is a wine built for aging. With ideal cellar conditions (12–14 °C, humidity, darkness), it should evolve for 20 to 25+ years, developing tertiary notes like dried berry, brioche, nut, roast, and forest undergrowth.

Grape Varietals & percentage used

• Pinot Noir: 62 %

• Chardonnay: 38 %

• Red wine (Côte aux Enfants): ~5 % of the total blend 

ABV (Alcohol by Volume)

12.0 % 

Scores

• Wine Spectator: 97 

• Wine Advocate (Robert Parker): 96 

• James Suckling: 95