Bollinger La Grande Annee 2015 in der Holzkiste

2015 nähert man sich mit einer gewissen Skepsis, aber La Grande Annee 2015 hat uns begeistert. Besonders nach einigen Stunden an der Luft ist klar, dass wir ein klassischen großen Bollinger Vintage im Glas haben. Nach dem gefälligen, stilvollen Jahrgang 2014 kommt ein überaus konzentrierter, körperreicher La Grande Annee 2015, der an den jungen 1976er Bollinger Vintage erinnert.  Die Chardonnays aus kühlen Lagen wie Grauves sorgen für eine gute Säure. Der Gaumen ist nicht diffus und weich, sondern von einer salzigen, prickelnden Mineralität gestützt, die Präzision und Frische als wichtige Kontrapunkte zur Kraft bietet. Der Chardonnay-Anteil ist mit 40 % etwas höher und es gibt einen hohen Anteil an Weinen aus Avize und Vezernay. Wiederum wurden neuere Eichenfässer für die Mikrooxidation verwendet, als es einige Jahre zuvor üblich war. Dies verleiht dem La Grande Annee 2015 eine sehr dezente, aber köstliche eichige Würze. Aromatisch erinnert er an gelbe Früchte und rote Äpfel, Haselnuss, Leder, Nougat und Tabak. 

Richard Juhlin champagneclub.com 93(95). ... 2015 is generally a problematic vintage with heat stress and a period of drought. It is no art to get richness and power in the wines, but elegance and freshness are rare. Because Bollinger's house style is inherently so masculinely powerful, Bollinger's eminent team focused on preserving freshness first and foremost. According to Denis Bunner, Bollinger felt that the grapes they had access to gave more typicity and greater elegance to the Chardonnay this time. Hence a slightly higher content of the green grape than in the original recipe. Perhaps even more important was the choice of Avize and Verzenay as engines. Verzenay behaves in many ways like Chardonnay with its chalky elegance and great purity. This time the shares of Aÿ and Verzenay were equal for once. Fat Cramant and Oger were now downplayed and Avize was primarily supported by tight Chouilly. An interesting detail that reduces tannin, clumsiness and contributes to an increased sense of freshness is, oddly enough, oak barrels. This is due to its great age and the company's strict selection of the best casks that only provide micro oxidation. The color is already deep golden with a fine stream of tiny bubbles fighting their way up through the glycerol-rich concentrated wine. Intense and rich and at the same time nuanced and complex. The small concentrated grapes ultimately produced an ultimate gastronomic masterpiece. The scent cannonade is classic Bollinger, but fresh and more nuanced than I expected from the vintage. Stone fruits, honeysuckle, honey, plum marmalade, Cox Orange, raspberry, almond, hazelnut, leather, tanned skin, cigar, and duck liver are all clear instruments in the orchestra playing their richly generous vintage anthem. The freshness does not come from acidity this time, but from lack of water and concentrated extracts in a similar way as the even more extreme 2003. In the finish I find tobacco, forest aromas and chocolate with sea salt, a delicious combination. Precisely the saltiness and the slightly higher tannin content contribute to making this a perfect partner for poultry in all its forms.