2007 Bollinger Champagne R.D.

The nose is elegant, fruity, pulpy and offers freshness as well as strength (in delicacy). It reveals notes of juicy pear, crunchy peach and small notes of peach blossoms, verbena associated with touches of ripe grapefruit, fine touches of crystallized mandarin, slight hints of zests, citrus flowers as well as discreet hints of dried apricot, buttered brioche, spices and a very discreet hint of fresh hazelnut. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers gourmandize, a small power / concentration (in finesse), a beautiful roundness (in finesse), a delicate acidulous frame, precision, suavity, a beautiful tension as well as delicacy. The attack is lively. The effervescence is very fine, delicate, precise, beautifully defined and discreetly tight. In the mouth this Champagne expresses notes of crunchy peach, fresh / juicy apple and small notes of lemon associated with touches of apple blossoms, fresh verbena, juicy mandarin as well as fine hints of fresh almond, discreet hints of toasted hazelnut / crushed mirabelle plum, walnuts and sweet spices. Good length and persistence.

Disgorged on July 10, 2020, with three grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's eagerly awaited 2007 Extra-Brut R. D. is beautiful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, citrus pith and white flowers mingled with hints of honey, orange oil, buttery pastry, English walnuts and delicately spicy bass notes. Full-bodied, vibrant and incisive, it's unusually elegant and structurally fine-boned for what is routinely one of Champagne's more muscular tête de cuvées, with a bright spine of acidity that's cloaked in vibrant, concentrated fruit, complemented by a pearly pinpoint mousse and concluding with an intensely sapid finish. Long and penetrating, this is a tightly coiled R. D. that will reward bottle age.

Bollinger’s 2007 R.D. is superb, but it is also a wine that reflects the nature of a unique and challenging growing season. In most vintages the R.D. is marked by the distinct creaminess and breadth of Aÿ Pinot Noir. Two thousand seven, though, was a difficult year marked by very dry weather, rain at the end of the growing season and an early harvest in August, something that was not as common as it has become. Selection was essential. For the 2007, the blend is composed of just 14 villages compared to the more typical 18-25. Verzenay is the main Pinot component while Cramant plays the leading role in the Chardonnays. For these reasons, the 2007 is an R.D. driven by more focus, energy and tension than readers are used to seeing. Lemon confit, dried flowers, sage, mint, crushed rocks, almond and ginger are some of the aromas and flavors that give the 2007 its complex, multi-faceted personality. The 2007 can be enjoyed now, but I would prefer to cellar it for a few years. It will age effortlessly for decades as it moves through the various phases of its life. I was reminded of the way Champagne can magically traverse time by magical bottles of the 1976 R.D. and 1996 Vieilles Vignes Françaises I tasted recently. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, 91% Grand Cru fruit and the rest Premier Cru. Bollinger fans will notice the return of the original label, with the disgorgement date clearly visible, a tribute to Madame Bollinger, who was a pioneer in so many ways. Disgorged: July 10, 2020. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.

Minerally on the nose, with accents of sea breeze and brine, transitions on the palate to a deep and finely-knit range of ripe nectarine and dried white cherry fruit, chopped almond and espresso crema, and hints of tangerine peel, saffron and ground cardamom. Fine and lacy in texture, this is sleek and mouthwatering through to the finish, where the salinity returns, echoing a lasting note. Disgorged July 2020.

R.D., or Recenty Disgorged, is a Bollinger hallmark. This wine has stayed on its lees for many years before release, giving it intensity, maturity and great depth. The wine is powerful, concentrated and elegant.

What an amazing nose this has, like the smell of a rock pool on a rocky coast, but with so many candied-fruit, spicy and mushroom notes behind that. That fruit is way more expressive on the powerful and structured palate with lime freshness and chalky minerality at the super-long, bone-dry finish.