Personal advice
La Grande Année 1999 is one of the best Champagnes from Bollinger in the last 30 years – powerful, with enormous substance and depth. Intense nutty complexity meets creamy fullness, dried fruits (apricot, pear), crème brûlée, and a mineral freshness with white pepper on the finish. It lacks the extreme acidity of 1996 but is more harmonious and accessible, with concentrated power and length.
Typical for Bollinger: partially aged in small oak barrels, which enhances the nutty, chocolatey, and toasty notes. Oxidative only subtly, instead rich in autolysis and complexity. Today it is in top form and at the beginning of a long, optimal drinking window.
1999 is a good but not outstanding year in Champagne – except at Bollinger and Krug: La Grande Année 1999 is an absolute standout. It lacks the concentrated acidity and structure of 1996 but is more powerful than many 1995s. The second great star of the 1990s after 1996.
Richard Juhlin describes it on champagneclub.com: 96(96) The 99 is super-gorgeous with lovely balance and easily accessible creaminess, even now with chocolate and nutty undertones. Will certainly keep for a very long time and should, despite its early charm, be stored for at least five more years before being consumed. Beautiful and chocolatey 2023. Last bottle at Les Crayères 98 points and one of the most sensational bottles this year.
After an early growing season start and hail in May, a warm, sunny summer and dry August followed. September brought rain, leading to ripe but somewhat diluted grapes – except at top producers like Bollinger, who harvested concentrated, phenologically ripe grapes from old vines. The year is fruit-forward, charmingly early-maturing, with good ripeness but lower acidity than 1996. Bollinger turns it into a standout: powerful, structured, and long-lived.
Joseph Bollinger, one of the many Germans in Champagne (like Krug, Heidsieck, Deutz), took over the commercial side. Founded in 1829 as Bollinger Renaudin & Cie, with strong vineyards around Aÿ inherited from Athanase de Villermont. Bollinger owns 178 ha in top sites today.
Bollinger became a success machine with Special Cuvée – earlier nearly vintage quality, today a solid mass product. The vintages (now La Grande Année) remain highlights – alongside Krug, the best series of great vintages.
Reference: 1921, 1928, 1929. Solitaires: 1934, 1945. Strong series from 1959 (1964, 66, 69, 73). Weakness 1975–1982 (1976 disappointing). New upswing from 1983 (1985, 1988). Fabulous: 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2008. Even smaller Grande Années are strong.
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin Cellar