Expressing An Exceptional Year

I’ll spare you the details of what I was doing in 2007, it’d make some of you feel far too old, and others far too young, but suffice to say it was a great year unless you maybe had a subprime mortgage of some kind. Fortunately, wine growers have better sense than bankers. Bollinger in particular has a sense of quality and legacy above all else.

The La Grande Année 2007 is a perfect example.

Using only the Grands and Premiers crus, their blends are already the best of the best for their La Grande Année vintages. 2007 was an exceptional year for growers. A mild winter and warm weather in April contributed to a fierce growing year. Every month brought a new but perfect twist, leading to harvest dates being among the earliest in over a century in the Champagne region.

To the nose, your first impression of the La Grande Année 2007 will be of fresh almonds, then yellow-flesh fruit aromas evoking peach and mango; toasted, roasted notes accompanied with dried citrus and pink grapefruit.

The taste has all the aromatic fullness you’d expect with honey flavours and a smooth chalky texture. Finally, you come to the refreshing finish of candied lemon notes and a delicious bitterness.

That is how you make a year truly exceptional.

Food Pairings: Grilled fish, with or without sauce, lobster. Roast lamb
or veal.