Personal advice
The Bollinger Grande Année Rosé 2012 consists of 95% white Grande Année 2012 and 5% still red wine from the famous Aÿ terroir **La Côte aux Enfants**. La Côte aux Enfants is considered the best terroir in Aÿ and quite possibly the finest Pinot Noir site in the entire Champagne region, leading to a significant quality leap in this rosé.
The still red wine from La Côte aux Enfants — situated high above Aÿ on a steep slope beneath a white chalk cliff — gives the Grande Année Rosé 2012 not only its attractive color, but also a seductively juicy yet subtly elegant fruit profile with attractive spicy notes that recall the great Vosne-Romanée vineyards.
While the white 2012 Grande Année impresses mainly with power and intensity but still shows relatively little complexity and calls for at least five years of bottle age, the Rosé already delights today with its seductive aromatics and a noticeably silkier palate — without sacrificing any long-term aging potential.
Joseph Bollinger recognized the extraordinary potential of this terroir early on. Starting in the early 19th century, he gradually acquired the individual plots from more than 50 different owners, creating the total surface of just over four hectares that exists today.
For a long time, rosé was considered rather banal within the Bollinger house and received little attention. Previous Rosé Grande Années clearly lagged behind the white versions. The 2012 vintage therefore marks a true new beginning — the first truly great Bollinger Rosé at the highest level.
A milestone for Bollinger Rosé — already a great pleasure today and, for many connoisseurs, already the best rosé the house has ever produced. At the same time, it has the potential for another 15–20+ years of positive development.
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin Cellar