Bollinger RD 1997 is a vintage, prestige-cuvée Champagne produced by Champagne Bollinger in Aÿ, France. Since 1829 Bollinger has been producing great Champagnes with a powerful, sophisticated and complex style. The house`s RD or `récemment dégorgé` (recently disgorged) range was the unique idea of Madame Bollinger. old vintages released soon after disgorgement, this combining the complexity of extended bottle ageing with the sprightliness of a recently disgorged wine. The 1997 vintage is a blend of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay, mostly from Grand Cru vineyards. "The 1997 Extra Brut R.D. needs quite a bit of air to open up. The wine shows tons of depth in a dark, dramatic expression of the vintage. Ripe apricots, pears, smoke, minerals and ash are some of the nuances that flow from this broad-shouldered, expansive Champagne. Once again, I find striking depth and detail in all dimensions of the wine. Personally, I am more inclined to the style of the Grande Annee, but the 1997 R.D. is undoubtedly a gorgeous Champagne. This is an intense wine that needs to be paired with food." Wine Advocate, 2010
(65% pinot noir and 35% chardonnay) Light yellow-gold. Expansive, smoky aromas of dried citrus fruits, peach, poached pear and honey, with a slow-building spiciness. Open-knit and gently sweet on entry, then tighter and more mineral-driven in the middle palate, offering lively orange and orchard fruit flavors and touches of nougat and praline. Smoothly melds richness and vivacity, finishing with superb clarity and nervy persistence. Here's yet another impressive 1997, a vintage which seems doomed to live in the shadow of 1995 and 1996. This was disgorged after aging for eight years in its bottle under cork.Josh Raynolds1st November 2010
17.5Jancis Robinson
Disgorged 4 January 2010. Full of contrasts. A difficult summer after a cold winter and flowering that resulted in some millerandage. Wet and with lots of mildew but then a hot, dry July and August. Cold, dry September with little rot. 65% Pinot Noir. 16 different villages. 75% grands crus. 9,400kg was the average yield. Initial potential alcohol 10.2%. Initial total acidity 8.4g/l. Final alcohol 12.3%. This wine seemed amazingly youthful and tight. I would ideally wait before enjoying it. Very pale. Almost malty nose. Lots of acid with a note of fennel (this before the pea and mint cream arrived). Bracing. Invigorating. Very taut. A cream of peas and mint gave it depth. Very tight knit. (JR)
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Bollinger
A Classic Grande Marque
Synonymous with sophistication and quality, Champagne Bollinger was awarded the Royal Warrant as Official Purveyor of Champagne to Queen Victoria in 1884. From special cuvées and Rosé Champagnes, to rarely seen vintages, luxurious large formats and Recently Disgorged styles, this is a wonderful House to discover. Bollinger wines even have a close association with James Bond - and rare limited editions have been released in celebration of the films from Moonraker to No Time To Die.
The Bollinger vineyard covers 179 hectares, with 85% of these Grand and Premier Cru. One of the last family-run Champagne houses in the region, Bollinger is located in the village of Aÿ, near Épernay. A number of practices are key to the Bollinger approach: the majority of grapes used in the wines have to come from the Maison's own vineyards; Pinot Noir must play a dominant role in the blend; the role of micro-oxygenation from barrel fermentation; and long periods of bottle aging (two to three times longer than required).
