Bollinger Champagne PNVZ15

A bright new star has arisen from deep within the pinot noir firmament. The first new permanent addition to the hallowed portfolio of Bollinger in 12 years is a monumental blanc de noirs that encapsulates the generosity of the house within its ever more detailed regime. Departing its home on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims, it has tactically jumped over the hill to the cooler northern aspect of the fabled grand cru of Verzenay in the warm 2015 vintage, yet very much retaining the beloved DNA of the house. The result is a deeply spicy and exuberant expression of this elegant terroir, abounding in mixed spice, anise and cardamom and deep, luscious strokes of blackberries and bright red cherries. There are subtle flitters of fruit mince spice and orange rind along for this dynamic ride. Bollinger's characteristic old barrel fermentation builds depth of creamy texture and signature layers of complexity. The brightness of the great slopes of Verzenay shines through, even in the warm 2015 season, charged with wonderfully ripe yet vibrant acidity and omnipresent chalk minerality of glittering, crystalline energy. The phenolic structure inherent to this season is neatly and masterfully woven into its folds. It's emphatically Bollinger, definitively Verzenay, exactingly pinot noir and characteristically 2015 - a wonderful yet difficult balance to achieve. A triumph for the season, and downright delicious." og han fortsætter: "The winner of a blind tasting contest between the winemaking team was built primarily on Verzenay (hence VZ), with support from Aÿ, Bouzy and Tauxières, 50% barrel fermented, based on the 2015 vintage (hence 15) with 20% reserves from vintages back to 2009, aged in magnums. Its unique black bottle and black label are a tribute to the black grape, and a nod to its big brother, Vieilles Vignes Françaises. In each successive vintage a different village will be chosen by blind tasting. Production volume is roughly equivalent to La Grande Année. Global release in September 2020 at a price between Special Cuvée and La Grande Année (~100EUR).

Permanent new launches in Bollinger's range are as rare as solar eclipses and it is of course with high expectations that I want to get to know this new wine, 50% of which has been vinified in oak barrels. The wine's name is 'PN' and will follow in many different editions in the future. The presentation is brilliant and is reminiscent of the house's legendary blanc de noirs Bollinger 'Vieilles Vignes Françaises'. The first edition has the surname 'VZ 15'. A Verzenay blanc de noirs with sprinkles of Aÿ, Bouzy and Tauxières, where 50% of the wine comes from 2015 with reserve wines on magnum dating from 2009. Verzenay and Aÿ are, as you know, the dominant villages in Bollinger's vintage wines. Verzenay is often the chalky and mineral-rich backbone of Bollinger's vintage build-up. The wine is vibrantly fresh, mineral-driven and extremely pure. There is a clarity and sharpness that is outstanding, where gunpowder notes and aroma of grilled meat develop as the glass warms up slightly. I love this wine as it is a perfect creation from one of the most important villages in the whole of Champagne dominated by the aforementioned minerality, but also with notes of violet and red grapefruit so typical of Verzenay of the highest class. On aeration the scent develops more and more notes of pears, figs and freshly baked baguette and the taste develops towards peach and apricot jam. Personally, though, I will wait as long as I can before opening my own bottles to get the increasing depth of caramel and grilled hazelnut flavour that only time in the cellar can provide.