Bollinger 2008 La Grande Annee

Richard Juhlin calls the Bollinger La Grande Annee 2008 a "regal and heroic Bollinger" and alludes to its great concentration, full body and fabulous acid structure for decades of ageing. Even with this Prestige Cuvee, this has not been seen in this perfection for over 30 years. After having given drinking pleasure for some time, but is very closed now. As usual with Bollinger, their best champagne is released to champagne fans in two releases: First as Grande Annee early in 2019 and then in March 2023 as RD with longer yeast storage.

Tasted in April 2021, the nose shows prominent toasted notes of hazelnuts. Freshly opened, the palate is rather firm and marked by the strong acidity and slightly nutty notes, but without showing pronounced oxidation. After six hours of aeration, the first half of the palate has an exotic, lush fruit with slightly sweet caramel notes, which abruptly changes to a sparse, lean, mineral, acidic palate in the second half.