Therefore, if you prefer them sweet, this is definitely not for you. It’s also very yeasty and it delivers a rich intensity and flavour just like on the nose. Created under strict conditions in the Champagne region of France, Bollinger Special Cuvée's unique taste is the result of blending freshly harvested grapes with reserve wines to achieve the familiar, Pinot-strong mix. It features fruity undertones with a rich velvety texture. The nose has hints of brioche, with undertones of fig and spice. This is a dry, rather than sweet, champagne. The complexity of the taste can be attributed to the age of reserve wines, often up to fifteen years old, which create the multifaceted taste at the heart of the Special Cuvée. The champagne is fermented in oak barrels, which also contribute to the unique taste. The wine pairs well with fish and other seafood, though will generally complement most cuisine. Top Bottles at Low Prices of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced. Special Cuvée begins with a rich frothy mousse, which lazily settles into a lively perlage to highlight its rich mid-gold hue. The texture is not light. It’s going to be quite balanced, but you’re not yet on the velvety side of very mature champagne. This has been aged indeed for about 30 months, so less than three years in ageing overall.

There are going to be some notes that you will taste later on, although it seems to be quite coy at this stage. Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion, is one of the key factors determining the style of most Champagnes. Three grapes are used - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district. As for the occasion, Bollinger is very versatile champagne that you can drink for a variety of occasions. It’s going to be more champagne that you would accompany with a meal or as a starter. This isn’t something that I would consider really as just an apéritif.

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There’s a good diversity of notes and it’s quite vivid as well in flavour. You’re looking at on the first nose, green apples and butter, and on the second nurse, if you persist and you keep smelling, is going to start to feel more like baked apples. So a buttery apple with a hint of vanilla as well. In 1829, Champagne Bollinger introduced an instantly recognizable, dry, toasty style that connoisseurs around the globe have coveted ever since. Six generations of the Bollinger family have maintained that trademark style, and Bollinger is one of the rare Grande Marque houses to be owned, controlled and managed by the same family since it was founded. Personally, I enjoyed the bottle that was reviewed with homemade pizzas. Red wine tends to clash with tomatoes but since Champagne is derived from red grapes without the tannins, it’s a good compromise. However, you could also consider fish, pasta, pastries, shellfish, and white meat. Needless to say, you could pair Bollinger Special Cuvée with caviar and foie gras. However, it wouldn’t be my first choice. Instead, I would opt for something less tart. Meanwhile, oysters are certainly a possibility. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.

You do notice a change in the texture, as well as a hint of hazelnut. You could basically compare the heart to a tart apple crumble. First of all, you may notice that even a single sip makes you salivate and struggle to speak. That’s because of its very high acidity. Indeed, Bollinger Cuvée Special is meant to be one of the most dry and acidic of the major French champagne house flagship cuvées.With 399 acres of vineyards situated in the best Grands Crus and Premiers Crus villages, Bollinger relies on its own estate for nearly two-thirds of its grape requirements, including the Pinot Noir that gives its Champagne its distinctive roundness and elegance. Bollinger is one of a select few houses that can control the quality of its grape supply so carefully. Bollinger champagne has been a firm favourite full of flavour since 1829, and the brand's beverages are defined by their complexity and elegance. These outstanding wines are the result of immense attention to detail throughout every stage of the production process. This means that the company makes truly unique champagnes full of depth and character, perfect for pairing with a luxurious meal or serving to guests at an event. Renowned for consistently fantastic quality, Bollinger Special Cuvée is an elegant champagne that is sure to make your evening special. This champagne house has been refining their techniques since 1829, using the unique chalky soil of their vineyards to produce high quality Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Known affectionately in the UK as "Bolly", this brand has become a firm favourite and is sure to bring a touch of class to every occasion. The Gift of Good Taste

This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Finally, if you’re a cigar smoker consider a light or mild tobacco blend. I personally would consider something like a Plasencia Reserva Original. Alternatively, a Davidoff No. 2 would be a classic choice.

Champagne Bollinger – Special Cuvee 2013

It can be also enjoyed on special occasions. Indeed, this is probably one of the best of the major house standard non-vintage Cuvées that you can enjoy for a lavish moment, but you can also drink it casually with some friends. Nearly two centuries of expertise and technique mean that Bollinger is always concentrated on quality, and the brand always uses its ancestral processes wherever they have been demonstrated to provide the best flavour. After decades of making wines, Bollinger rose increasingly to prominence in the mid-20th century, widely popularised by Lily Bollinger. Brut denotes a dry style of Champagne (less than 15 grams per litre). Most Champagne is non-vintage, produced from a blend from different years. The non-vintage blend is always based predominately on wines made from the current harvest, enriched with aged wines (their proportion and age varies by brand) from earlier harvests, which impart an additional level of complexity to the end wine. Champagnes from a single vintage are labelled with the year reference and with the description Millésimé. Then moving into the heart, the apple and pear accord basically turned into a sort of baked apple as we noticed in the second nose earlier. There’s also a hint of butter, which is probably derived from the baked apple itself. This is quite oily on the tongue.