Bollinger RD 1997 Magnum
Disgorged July 2009 and January 2010.
Madame Bollinger first had the idea of offering recently disgorged cuvees in 1961 as part of her absolute commitment to making the best possible wines. Only the most promising of the Bollinger La Grande Annee vintages can hope to become R.D. These
cuvees are given even more time in the cellar to encourage the slow evolution of aromas, as well as a redefinition of structure and a lingering finish.
After disgorging, the wines have a very slight addition of dosage, revealing the most pure and profound truth of the wine, paradoxically combining an extraordinary freshness and an exceptional expression of secondary and tertiary aromas.
The lively freshness amazes and enchants, while the aromatic expression intrigues. These wines improve with age and may be enjoyed immediately or allowed to continue ageing after disgorgement, reserving additional characteristics for the future. Bollinger R.D. wines are both a homage to the best that the terroir and time has to offer and a gift to lovers of great wines.
RD (meaning ‘recently disgorged’) is exclusively produced with wines from the cuvee juice. The first fermentation of RD is always 100% carried out in oak barrels, which has become quite unique in champagne. The Crus are fermented in small oak barrels (205,225 and 410 litres), which enables a rigorous selection. Bollinger only uses old barrels (five years and more), in order to generate neither an oaky taste nor tannins.
This method reinforces the aromatic complexity and the ageing potential of the wines. Once the wine is bottled, the second fermentation and cellar ageing are conducted under natural cork. This enables a better protection against oxidation compared with a metal crown cap. This method, nowadays very seldom used in champagne, is a guarantee of freshness. It allows the aromas to preserve all their bouquet.
16 crus have been used in the blend of R.D. including 75% Grands Crus and 25% Premiers Crus.
Grape Variety:
Pinot Noir (65%) and Chardonnay (35%)
Technical Characteristics:
ABV - 12%
Dosage - Very light. 3-4 g/l
Ageing:
RD ages in cellars for at least 8 years.
Pairing with food:
Excellent with mushroom risotto and truffle shavings, roast duck and game, as well as cheeses such as Comte, Roquefort and Langres.
Review:
“Vintage champagne is a must for a truly special supper, and a bottle from top champagne house Bollinger ought to impress. Bollinger's RD 1996 is only the twentieth vintage to be created since production first began. Made in a small quantity from one
of the best vintages this century.”
Kate Ennis, Food & Travel, February 2007
