Side by side 2002 GA. I think the chardonnay in the 2002 is just better than here and probably makes the 2002 a better champagne, but overall this is still going strong and is a great wine with life ahead
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Deepish straw, and somewhere between full maturity and being a little past peak. Big, lactic nose, with hints of Chelsea buns, sea air and something sharp and smoky, but more freshness would have been welcome. Massive on the palate, with notes of apple juice and roasted hazelnuts, and some apple compote on the extremely long, chalky, delicious finish (which was my favourite part of the wine; if the nose had matched it I'd have given a much higher score).
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Evolving gracefully and in a great place right now. Golden yellow, rich, and complex. I’ll target a bottle a year or so to follow over the next decade-plus…
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Very difficult not to like this Champagne. And in a perfect place right now. It lacks acidity to be perfect (which the 2002 we also drank had). Fat and creamy texture. Pineapple, baked apple, citrus and brioche, hazelnut and chalk. Long aftertaste. One of my favourite houses and the LGA always deliver.
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Always deliver. So glad I could buy this and other vintages before the world of wine prices gone mad, totally non sense mad! And more non sense madness from those who currently pay those money now, you are all idiots!
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Still very medium straw color, extremely effervescent. Very oxidative with a crazy amount of yellow apple, lemon pastry, and sea salt. Strives for richness, but so uplifting and light on its feet. A hint of toasty oak and smoke emerges long after the last sip.
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It was an almost special occasion so wanted to drink a special bottle but not one of my most special. Although I think this could have qualified for the latter! Golden color, oxidative nutty and honey nose, very concentrated and rich on the palate, full of orchard fruit and brioche. Ripe golden delicious apples dipped in honey. Felt really indulgent and did not last long.
Yvelin's farewell: Better than the ‘99 or ‘02 that I tried the previous day. Much fresher, guessed late 2000s or early 2010s from a warmer vintage. Curiously some others didn’t think it was champagne but thought this was quite a clear-cut house champagne, and I guessed LGA based on the 99/02 I had the previous day. Good but still not my cup of tea because of the overt ripeness and sweetness.
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Med. gold-amber-yellow; Beautiful finesse, elegant, ethereal, yellow peach, macerated, stewed pit fruits, super concentration everything in place. Great wine and along with the Cristal was the clear winner. My #1 and group's #1. I guessed '02 Comtes. Yarom Group DD Champagnes at Blooming VIP Chinese.
3 days late: sappy, orchard fruit- peach and apricot- sourdough, lemon tart; Bubbles gone but good weight on the palate and med+ length with a sappy, tangy, almost saline finish.
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Undrinkable; went done the kitchen sink. Most likely a rare case of TCA in Champagne. Stripped of all aromas but without the TCA mustiness. Bitter and astringent finish.
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Drank with friends for my son's baptism. Excellent, everyone loved. We also drank the 08 and an 02. Response was very diverse regarding which was liked best. In all excellent champagne as always.
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Guy's Night: Open Your Last Bottle (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank 2 glasses over 75 minutes. Apricot, baked apple, oxidative, chalk, rich and a little fat, yeasty, nuthorns, hints of cherry, lime on the finish. 93+ to 94pts.
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Open your last bottle (Jason and Mariellen's house): My last bottle (per the theme of the tastng). This was interesting and complex. There was a vegetal funkyness that for a second made me think it might be corked. But it obviously was not. The wine is slightly oxidized but not overly still, it is still quite enjoyable. The finish ends a little flat, as though the wine is fat and needs a bit more acid at the end.
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Guys Night Out - Open your last bottle of something you had multiple bottles of at one time!: PnP - very nice Champagne with plenty verve...nose showed lots of minerality with seashore dominating, but also a little funk (in a good way) with hints of stone fruit and honey, also slight oxidative notes. Palate was lively with a fine mousse characterized by fine bubbles that cascaded down your throat. The palate showed some tart apple, pear and saline notes with some slightly oxidized notes, which led to a discussion if it was intentional or not....we concluded it was a stylistic trait for this wine. 93+ for my palate....I found this very enjoyable!
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Rich and dense with lots of red apple fruit but also a lovely refreshing energy. The wine seems to be at a perfect mid-point where it balances between the complexity of age and the youthful acidity. It is truly drinking wonderful right now! Very true to the house style and at the moment, I prefer this vintage to the 02. Absolutely loved it!
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Again very good. Rich and round and quite evolved, both in colour and on the nose. Slightly nutty with notes of dried fruit. On the palate bright and precise, quite mineral with good fruit and richness. Fine length. Drink or keep. 92-94
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Christmas lunch date at V. Mertz. Disgorged January 2013. No formal notes. Rich in style with bruised apple, brioche, honey and some nutty, oxidative notes too. Zippy acid still. A truly wonderful way to close out the meal. Drink now.
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Three years since my last bottle. Maturing in line with those prior experiences, ie rich, robust, and with a noticeable sense of dosage. Ready to drink any time.
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at the eye it shows a wonderful golden yellow and releases scents of boulangerie and stone minerality. At the palate - consistent with nose - what impresses is its sharp taste and the clear notes of citrus and lemon which make a long and sumptuous final. A truly bold champagne, just entered in its best drinking window, already benefitting from 7 years after degorgement, but still with a long and bright future ahead. In a cloudy afternoon at the Blades, sip by sip along with culatello and quiche, PD appreciates
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Light-medium gold color. Drank a glass plus over an hour. Explosive bead, dense nose, caramelized fresh air, toasted, almond nuthorns, melon and pear. The palate is full and rich, yet still lifted, fuzzy minerality, tart green apple, pear, and white melon, toffee, and a nice finish of toast. Loved it, in a great spot. 94+pts and maybe underscored.
Vinous style of champagne, rich style but still has enough cut to prevent it from being boring. Might not appeal to the acid freak crowd but has enough complexity to make it a fun drink. Bought this when it was like $80, would not pay current prices for it now though.
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Feirer nytt hus. Zalto champagne. Rik lukt med kjeks og pære. Rik sødmefull smak med pære, kjeks, nesten for mye. Plomme. Kånå e begeistra. Testet i Zalto universal. To mutch.
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Intensely floral and fruity in the nose, chamomile, dates, grapefruits, pears, nectar, and buttered toasts; layers of fruits on the palate, cherries, lemon peels, rock salt, walnuts, yeasts, and wood spices; long finish; overall, enjoyable enough despite the still noticeable acidity, so 93-94 points at this stage.
Deep gold with a fine mousse and full mouth feel. Rich and complex with brioche and almond and more toasty notes coming forward as it warmed up a bit. Satisfyingly long finish. Perfect match for our Valentine's dinner of seafood pasta with lemon and garlic. Drinking really well now. Yum!
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PnP. Has really come together since the last one 4 1/2 years ago; more depth, nicely developed complexity, etc. That said, I still preferred the cut and vigor of the '08 on this night. Can hold, to be sure, but not seeing a reason to wait. recommended
Naso dolce burroso ed opulento, torta di mele, piccola pasticceria, agrumi canditi, appena un po’ di tostato. Al palato struttura ampia, dosaggio che si avverte, freschezza e bollicine che sostengono e contengono una morbidezza che altrimenti potrebbe tracimare. Uno champagne godurioso, più di pancia che di testa; una di quelle bottiglie che non faticano per nulla a svuotarsi. Sboccatura luglio 2013.
Deep golden color. Perfumed nose. Full body. This is a rich wine. Flavors of butterscotch, almonds, pear, quince, brioche, and a touch of lemon. Slightly oxidized, but in a favorable way. There is a nice underlying acidity to balance things out. drink now and for the next 5+years.
So much variation on these. Sometimes they're chiseled with acidity. This was broad and creamy, but without an acid backbone. Supposedly starting with the 08 vintage some of the variation has been fixed, but it's all over the place.
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Disgorged November 2013. After a totally mind blowing bottle a few months back I thought to try another one of that case to see if it can repeat the performance. Please see my previous TN but this again was just so spot on. Ultimately as a wine collector those are the bottles that put the biggest smile on your face - some that you bought quite "cheap" (few years back at £50 all in per bottle equivalent by the case in a sale by a wine merchant), a wine that was good a few years ago but not actually spectacular, but that is now at a great plateau. From first sniff a oozes complexity, nuttiness, caramel and shows a wonderful balance of richness and poise with good acidity and precision on the palate. Really terrific and often I find Bollinger over-oaked but when it has been absorbed (like is the case in those bottles) sufficiently it can be wonderful. Pound for pound most likely the best wine I had this year and great to get a consistency from two bottles. So if you have those with this disgorgement date I would urge you to check in!
Gold. Totally integrated bubbles smokey, toasty, oxidative notes of almonds and olives all wrapped in oak richness. Silky smooth creamy and classy. Complex and perfectly balanced. As it warmed a slight sweetness emerged to contrast with the tart notes. Wow.
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Excellent bottle. Quite yellow in the glasss. Very lively with lots of fizz. Not showing much age. Nose with lemon juice and peel. Yeasty and bread notes apparent. Long in the mouth and consistent with the nose. Slightly floral. To be truly superb more complexity would be required, but a very nice bottle. Drinking well not sure whether it gets better with age or not.
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Disgorged November 2013. Sometimes you have those bottles that over-deliver against expectations and those are the ones that most put a smile on your face. This was one of them. 4th bottle of a case I liked the previous experiences but they didn't stick in my memory as truly superb. This bottle was different. From popping the cork the wine showed immense depth and vinosity, toffee, caramel, the oak here better managed than I remember it (always felt a tad glumsy), a nice acidity on the finish that kept you reaching for the next sip, very dimplomatic in stature like a statesman, in fact blind I might have gone Krug here on the house. This was a truly wonderful bottle and I just hope the next bottle will be as good. Based on this one pop corks, not sure how much better it can get...
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It’s been good 6 years since we tried his last ( Papies 93) and very happily surprised to find it in such a good place as longevity with Bollie Grand Anne has always been a question mark for us. Andreas who tried it first thought it was the 2006 as it had still quite a bit of energy. Definitely past it’s best though , a bit too ripe , round and with a rich on the toasty and yeasty side champagne. A bit confectionery in a way too as the evolution of the fruit has added that side to it. Full as Bollie always is, good evolution and with a dollop of honey notes too. Good 91 and drink sooner than later.
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Fin gyllene färg, mycket champinjoner och bröd på näsan, känns tyvärr lite energilös i munnen och det fattas lite syra. En trevlig champagne men inte mer.
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Initially the subdued nose reveals clear notes of green apple complicated by cherry, stone fruit, and nuts. It opened up more after 1-2 hours to add expressive smoky and chalky flavors of candied apple, caramel, and citrus fruit all delivered in a super suave and creamy package. The finish was the highlight, super long and expansive on the palate, leaving lingering smoky notes of cherry and grapefruit. As other tasters have noted, it seemed quite ready and mature. My wife gave it a 97.
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Beautiful golden yellow color, very evolved. Nice fizz in the glass, got better with more oxidation. Nose of candied apples, stones, gun flint reminiscent of white Ermitage wines. Dense on the palate, very lively yet a bit stern, ends on a note of brioche and long in the mouth. Lovely
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Bollinger La Grande Annee 2004. Flott nese - ungdommelig med en begynnende modning i frukten. Røde saftige epler, aprikos, gjærbakst, krydder og havbris. Nydelig mousse. Flott konsentrert frukt og herlig friskhet. Smooth uten noe kanter. Balansert vin. Fin struktur som holder ryggraden på plass. På et fint sted, men denne flasken hadde tålt mange år. Meget lang stram finish som prikker godt i munnhulen. Super flaske. 93p
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In magnum format. Apple, citrus and nuts. Wonderfully fresh on the palate with precision and layers. In particular, the nutty palate was charming. 91-92
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I always find the 2004 grande annee a little on the monolithic side but I don't think that it's any the worse for it. While it might not have the complexity of the 2002 of the fruit-forwardness of the 2005, it really majors on the shear power of its praline and hazelnut notes. It's probably the most expressive of the three vintages that I have mentioned. I'm not sure that this will improve but I don't think there's any major rush to drink these.
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I was expecting much more of a toasty and more assertive palate, but this was clear and clean with a nice dose of vanilla on the palate. Not especially complex nor evolved, very transparent and very enjoyable sitting poolside. Brought to the Wallicks in Bridgehampton.
The really evolved well. Give this an hour of air and it become a lovely champagne. Classic Bollinger oxidised notes makes you know immediately you are drinking a vintage wine that could pass for 25-30 years old. Big and heavy, but loads of complexity, especially honey and worked wonderfully well with aged gouda. I really enjoyed this, and preferred it to the 1990 and 1997 Grand Annee.
Quite ordinary when just opened, but after an hour it really opened up. Golden color with fine bubbles, complex nose of citrus, grape, butter, toast, nutts and ... Really extraordinary mouth feel. Almost like drinking cream, and an extremely long aftertaste. High quality stuff.
Excellent wine and some of the better bubbles weve had in some time. Clear and precise citrus with enough stuffing to keep it very interesting....and more importantly.....delicious. drank over the course of an hour with the last 2 glasses being the best.....although bubbles were pretty much gone at that point which was surprising (PnP and drunk out of larger, wide-mouth champagne stems so I can still get my nozzle fully in the glass). With that being said, flavor profile suggests many years of great drinking.....but bubbles hint at drinking now. What's a wine-lover to do???
To begin with a bit rustic and oxidative in a clumsy way. At this point tastes a lot like so much other, cheaper champagne from lesser producers. But with air it finds focus and finesse and flavour grows in intensity as well. Well done. Great on day 2 as well.
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Dracks under en halvblind provning av Bollinger Grande Année 02, 03, 04, 07 och 08.
Den här var mörk i färgen med färre och långsammare bubblor i glaset. Doft av äpple och återigen något som påminde om det rökiga/brända jag kände i 03an men ändå behaglig. Andra kände nötter, kakao, fnas och torrt. En annan upplevde den som söt på näsan. Det var färre bubblor i glaset men desto mer i munnen med ett trevligt brus. Tydlig smak av äpple med en bra balans. Omdömen från de övriga var tropisk frukt, ananas, mogen persika, röda vinteräpplen, citrus, kakao, smör, fudge/kola, vanilj, nötter, utvecklad och koncentrerad.
Jag gissade på 02. En person hade den som favorit.
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This was decent but had a slight oxidative note to it. Apricot pit slight nuttiness, good richness, great with gruyere and some nutty cheeses. But muted aromatics, and not as vibrant as previous versions. Chalk it up to storage or an off bottle.
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Disgorged Nov 13. Please see my previous TN which holds this score is a slight uplift as with more sore this time the sweetness of core prinot fruit was utterly beguiling. This is a nice champagne and classic Bolly!
Early tastes were serious minerality, wrapped in a glove of oxidation. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The flavors were clean, and nothing seemed out of place. Not everyone will love a Champagne made in this style, though.
Peeking out from the oxidation were small flavors of honey and sweeter citrus. With more time open, bruised apple, toast and graham cracker flavors were introduced as the citrus flavors became more tart.
Tasty and enjoyable for those who like mineral driven Champagnes.
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Warm bruised red apple, with a lemon squeezed on top, enveloped in buttery puff pastry. Rich, oxidative, finishing crisp and clean. Basically a liquid apple pie.
Irresistible.
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Wonderful way to start the new year, toasty brioche, pear, apples, fine elegant but so energetic mousse, medium plus acidity nicely balanced the somewhat creamy texture and a long long finish
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Also a nice start to the meal. This is bright and slightly toasty and a really nice pairing with soup I was having (squash soup with apples and bits of cheese). The acidity and bubbles in the wine cut the creaminess of the soup very well and made the flavor stand out a bit more.
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Opened by Bill. First made in 1976, this is a blend of 14 Crus and mostly (88%) Grand Cru. 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay. 1st time I have had this vintage although i've had the 1990, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2002. This bottle was up there with the 1996 and 2002. Pale straw color. This is in a nice spot. Starting to show some honey and cream notes but still lively with a solid bead. No rush to drink. 93 points.
CWM gathering with VinT (Adelle's): First poour was very odd, as it smelled like a wedge of fresh gouda cheese. After a couple of hours I revisited this and it had improved a great deal, with notes of wet dough and orchard fruit. Give this time to sort itself out.
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First experience with Bollinger. Honey and bruised fruit on the nose, still bright with tons of acidity and Meyer lemon on the phone. Solid, but not sure it's worth the price tag
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One lonely bottle on a supermarket shelf. No box, label a bit scuffed, but below the market value for this vintage so worth rescuing! Mid gold. Powerful aroma of spiced cooked apple. The taste is similar, crisp and rich, very Bollinger. Not too complex at this point but there's nothing to complain about either. Delicious. Disgorged November 2013. [Cork + cage; 12% abv; Tesco, £70].
Very mineral-driven, followed by the signature mushroom flavours and the usual fruity flavours. a bit weak on yeasty or toasty flavours. Quite subtle, multi-layered and lots of hidden depths. Give it more air, or cellar it for some years.
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Disgorged November 13 - due to the recent RD 04 release I felt opportune time to crack into my first of a case. Golden colour giving away that it has some age to it and is Pinot dominated. The nose shows toast from the oak, coffee, caramel. On the palate it gains in stature with air (in fact after putting stopper in second day it showed fuller/better), fine mousse, brioche, some citrus, it is very long in the finish. Very good vintage champagne for sure, classic Bolly too, probably best 2020-2030 but drinking now. The 2002 is a tad better/lusher/sexier but it will be very interesting to compare these two side by side over the years. Probably an underrated vintage. 93 today with upside potential for 1-2 additional points.
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A totally wonderful wine. This both speaks to my personal palate preference, but looking at it more objectively - it is a stunning effort by one of the star producers in Champagne. The first impression tonight is one of super power and close to brutal elegance. At first sniff rich profund minerals emerge accompanied by lovely oysters and lime zest. After a while in the glass, a secondary layer marches forward with dark toast, sweet chilli almonds, brioche and freshly roasted chestnuts. Just as all other vintages, this wine shows both power and eleganc. There is enough texture and structure to have this wine age well for many years to come.. As written many times before, the 2004 Grande Année is on an evolutionary path to greatness. Lovely!
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New Year's dinner, so only brief from memory. This was clearly not the best bottle I have had of this wine, but perhaps the freshest. Had three bottles last 3-4 months. One flawed, one really advanced (but lovely) and then this rather fresh bottle missing some of the mature notes that I was hoping for. Hmm... 92 now, with quite some upside.
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New Years Eve (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Light gold color. Drank 1+ glass over an hour. This is sneaky good - not that the fact that this is good would be surprising - more so it is how this just comes from a place of subtlety and finesse to build on the depth. There is an ultrafine bead with some subtle cream and a building toast, brioche, lemon, lemon peel, almond paste and a somewhat oxidative palate with chalk based crisp minerality. This still seems like it has room to improve.93+ to 94pts.
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A deep golden hue indicates the depth in this wine. Toasted brioche, candy apple, and a bit of almond. Beautiful texture and easy to drink. Acidity is there but more in the background, fruit dominates and delivers a lengthy finish.
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Interesting nose that is more wine than champagne if you get what I mean. Tropical fruit nose amazingly. I can't quite place it but I want to say papaya and passion fruit. Creamy. This repeats on the palate. But very smooth and the the carbonation fades somewhat quickly. I like it but am intrigued and wonder if this is to be drunk soon or later.
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Loved this tonight just so harmonious and an absolute pleasure to consume baked apple, pear, some white minerals and spice palate has a smooth yet persistent mousse and finish
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I must say that this bottle left me a little indifferent. Very promising nose of quince, brioche, incense, smoke, slate, and lemon curd. Quite rich, and a slight oxidative whiff, that I do very much enjoy. That being said, the palate is a disappointment: insubstantial (no, not 'elegant'), and short. There is an initial sweetness and density of the fruit and mineral that captivates, but the middle palate and finish, bluntly, fall flat and are decidedly uninspiring. The acidity is perhaps a little too modest to balance out the powerful aromatics, which remain the most attractive point of this wine. As someone who usually quite enjoys the Bollinger style, this is a disappointment, especially at this price point.
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Phenomenal nose. The balance between the fruit and the developed notes is really special. Honeyed nose - kinda botrysis expression - resonating in the red and yellow apples. There is yeast and nuts on the front of the nose, white flowers and ripe lemons deeper in. The palate is not that flashy and impressive but really fine as well. Definitely at its best pnp straight from the cellar. Almost still wine in the glass 10 mins after pouring. Acidity is quite fresh however. Wish I knew where this is going. I have 4 bottles left so guess I have the means to find out. Great experience. 93-94p. Added: left 1/5 of bottle over night. Still good on day 2 but definitely better on first night.
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2004 BOLLINGER LA GRANDE ANNEE BRUT- magnum; 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay; the perfect sized bottle for our large group to compliment the perfection of this wine; it had the requisite toast and mild nutty notes to accent the apple, pear, peach and citrus fruit; it was full bodied, complex and had a sustained refreshing finish; it was a real treat and although way younger, it was mindful of the 90` which is one of my favourite GAs of all time.
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I really love this wine, especially at the price, but it got a little lost among the Salon, Comtes, and RD. Nice power, cleaner than the RD, and not as long (it's the same wine, except left on the lees for a bunch of years, and the RD was '02 tonight). At Okumura sushi.
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Celebrate the birth of my first grandchild to Megan and Tucker. Very fresh. Almost sweet to the taste from the brightness of the fruit. Nice mild yeast nose and taste. Not what I expected from a 13 year old bottle.
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This bottle showed well and in condition. Colour not too advanced and a broad wise nose. Oxidative style as usual but not overdone and a nice freshness to it.
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Light medium gold color. Drank several glasses over 3 hours. Brought this to Spoon & Stable to celebrate my youngest son's Bday. Worked nicely across a wide range of dishes. Lemon, dried apricot, apple blossom and abundant minerality on the nose. The palate is closer to full body than medium citrus, lemon, green apple skin, green apples, hints of lime, plenty of fine chalk mineral, pretty, yeast with minimal toast. Very good now. But I am of the mind this is still pretty tightly wound, and I am in the court of time will still be of benefit.
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This is quite delicious. A core of black cherries, lemon, quinine, and minerals is enveloped with sweet yeasty goodness and hints of dark chocolate. Bright and mineral-rich on the long finish. I do not agree with my last review suggesting that this needed further aging to come into alignment (though wow, that was two years ago--time flies). I love the way it drinks now.
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Certainly my favourite but also a truly brilliant wine, The 2004 Grande Année is moving from greatness to greatness balancing power and elegance in a way this producer is so well-known for. The first impression isdeep minerals, fresh oysters and an impressive tone of lime zest. But then dark and slightly burnt toast, roasted almonds and sweet brioche emerge. The complexity is just thrilling! Power and elegance is present like a solid rock with equal immense eloquence. Texture and structure tell me this wine is in it for the longer haul, but it certainly drinks perfectly right now as well. Bravo!
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We had this before dinner at the table in the restaurant. It felt a bit clumsy at first in the wake of the Heidsieck, but the nose showed a nice display of yeast and hazelnut. There are differing views on here as to whether or not this is ready to drink but I'll be holding the rest of mine for a while.
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Ready to drink with lots of quite mature pinot notes. Having had some very heavy and tired GA 1996s recently, I' say this is to be drunk over the next 3-5 years (from 750ml). A dozen went pretty quickly at the party, always a good sign. GA seems to age very quickly, good if you're impatient or have constrained cellar space (or time value of money) - less good if you enjoy your champagnes at age 20+
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A private tasting and dinner (at home): Lovely flavours, very characteristic for Bollinger, drinking well, elegant style, open and attractive, but without the sheer power and weight of a great Pinot Noir vintage like 2002. If you have any left, do not wait too long.
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Classic, signiture Bollinger. Medium gold color; perfect efferversence; yeast, toast, pineapple and hints of lemon on the nose; toast brioche, almonds and peach on the palate with a full, long finish.
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Courtesy of tlv. Light golden color. Notes of apple, marshmallow and toasted almond with a subtle funky quality underneath. Medium bead with flavors of grilled apple, pear, citrus and vanilla cream.
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Saturday Lunch with Friends and Wine (Happ Inn - Northfield IL): Lots of ripe and powerful apple throughout, with at least as much toast and yeast notes. Certainly good in its style, but this will become very bready/ yeasty in the next few years, which I doubt I will like.
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A totally brilliant wine, the 2004 Grande Annee as usual delivers an experience of luxurious elegance and profound power. The first impression is the very Bollinger typical tones deep minerals accompanied by fresh oysters and a beautiful tone of lime zest. After some time in the glass a secondary layer of dark lightly burnt toast, roasted almonds as well as roasted chestnuts and brioche. The 2004 is no exception to the rule of revealing power and elegance at the same time. This balance between power an elegance is the hallmark of this wine, hence I just keep repeating these words in every tasting note like a parrot. There is of course also plenty of texture and structure to have the wine developing further if cellared. Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good. The 2004 is on a trajectory towards greatness. Bravo! (score is 95+)
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A creamy, yeasty beauty. More evolved than the 2002 Grande Annee that we drank beside it. Slightly oxidized, giving it an attractive baked bread character. Also a very slight sherry note. Everyone kept coming back to the 2004, and it disappeared faster than the 2002 which was still just a baby. The 2002 may be the more long lived wine, but on this ocassion the 2004 was just right.
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The return of JonnyG: Marshmallow, some herb, lemon curd, spice and earth. Quite mild in terms of both fruit and acidity, it works reasonably well in terms of balance, but it doesn't really thrill, not yet anyway.
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A really impressive bottle to my taste, young and precise, with years and years ahead of it. Softer than many Bolly's, showing as much restraint as power. Classic notes of toasted brioche, apple and peach. Plenty of acidity, and my, what persistence. Some cinnamon and spice on the finish.
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It still needs a lot of time, perhaps 3 to 4 years to show it's best. Both nose and palate are a bit closed with some green notes. Grand Annee 05 performs much better at this moment.
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I have historically not been a great fan of the house style here due to experiences with a heavy ginger and oxidized character. This bottle was big and powerful with complex aromas already of the usual brioche and yeast notes. Palate is, as expected, youthfully coarse and bold with some early oxidative hints of toffee. Stoppered up and kept extremely cold the remaining half bottle til 2nd day: airing out has tamed this beast considerably. Oxidative hints have subsided and this shows promise for greatness in 7 to 10 years.
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Drinking profoundly well right now, and most likely for many years to come, the first impression is the Bollinger typical tones of super power and total elegance. At first rich and deep minerals emerge accompanied by fresh oysters and a beautiful tone of lime zest. After about 20 minutes an intriguing second layer of complexity emerges with dark slightly burnt toast, salted almonds, sweet brioche and quite powerful roasted chestnuts. This wine shows both power and elegance in every vintage. The 2004 is no exception to this rule. A lovely powerful elegance is certainly present and will continue to develop if allowed to. But do not be mistaken, there are still plenty of texture and structure to yield great results if cellared properly. As written many times before, Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good but this 2004 is on an evolutionary path to greatness. Bravo! (score is 95+)
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Consistency, consistency, consistency! Micro bubble stream down center of glass Almost clear color with hint of yellow amber. Brioche, lemon, apricot, typical classic aged champagne taste, creamy mouth feel with GREAT acidity and minerality on the mid palate with a spicy somewhat astringent lingering finish. Simply OUTSTANDING.
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This needs more time, all the quality materials are here. That said, it's still quite good right now, even on PnP. If you crave big, in your face wood/toast/super ripe and uber rich fruits, this is not your wine. This is the wine that you slip into your rotation of $50- $75 Champers - it'll take you up another full level of sophistication and purity. I would let this understated wine rest another 3-5 years. Satiny fruits that run the white, not yellow spectrum. Long finish, insulated complexity. HOLD. recommended
PnP, served non-blind, at Les Nomades, Chicago (bases loaded home run).
At 50th. Paleish yellow, faint yellow rim, good mousse. A little dough and apples up front, flinty, quince and hint of citrus, background notes of green tea. Good month feel, rich but very controlled, apples and citrus, good acidity, very good length of creamy green fruit. Excellent champagne, drinks well now, but will be better in 5 years I suspect.
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Appealing bouquet of citrus, apple, brioche, chalk, and oxidative notes. Layered and smooth on the palate. The back, and especially the finish, showed an intense, bitters element, reminiscent of galvanized metal. A rounded and complete wine...other than the astringent finish.
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Dinner at home. Sons about to leave for UK to study. So splurge on Oscietra cavier on raw salmon, with chives and olive oil and a touch of lemon. Champagne is the natural companion to such dish and this Bollinger did not disappont. Decanted and poured, with the nose full of fresh brioche, and palate of mirabelles (one cannot dislike a wine when it tastes mirabellish) and Williams pear, it had a smooth and long finish. The boys and I felt like Mr. Bond.
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Monopole Wine: Probably my WOTN. Not rich and toasty, but still powerful and intense, without being heavy. I like this style. Lightly toasted fresh bread, biscuit, caramelized orchard fruits, super long in the mouth. Still very young and fresh. Needs another 5.
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Great way to start a wine dinner. This was more creamy, white fruits, a hint of light peach maybe. No toast or similar. Very food friendly - went well with the prosciutto wrapped figs.
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Magnum. Lots of apple and lots of bread in a fairly mature style. I don't quite see this evolving into the same exciting/ evolved place as other fine vintages (like the 1996 tasted earlier tonight). But i understand how others will appreciate this more.
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Previous notes apply but this champagne gets better every time we open a new bottle. Full and elegant mouth feel with toasted brioche, lemon and more. Fantastic wine.
Fantastic power, yeasty, biscuity, but clean and persistent, long, this has got it all. Previous versions were a bit less interesting. I think we bought an off lot previously. Wonderful. Shouldn't have started with this one. B&J's
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Tastes blind. Slightly oxidized style, clearly not Blanc de Blanc. I guessed 2002 since it showed some ripeness. Krug was my first guess, Bollinger second. Very nice and ready.
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Dinner with Friends (French wines). Yquem, Cos, B2K 2nds and a few more. (University Circle): Always delicious. Great way to start an evening. Light golden in color. Lots of small bubbles. The nose is slightly nutty but also some fresh pears. On the palate, this seems to be at peak. Lots of pears and depth, but also just a bit of nuttiness that is delicious. Layers of complexity. Very good acidity. Going back later in the evening, it had really opened up.
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Tuscany BYO (Valby): Lovely and rich nose filled with plenty of sweet apple fruit, smoke and hazelnuts. The palate is equally impressive with lot of red and yellow sweet apple flavor with a touch of hazelnut and vanilla. Plenty of oak and sweetness but very true to the house style. A great wine. Consistent with previous note!
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Bright yellow color, at first on the nose very primary- all citrus, on the palate full bodied and quite ripe leading into a firm and long finish, after about an hour it blossomed beautifully and was in full cry, primary mousse on the nose, assertive notes of blood orange, hints of pear and marzipan, on the palate far more open and very ripe with a substantial- yet elegant- mousse, decadent blood orange, brioche notes, racy and refined finish of exceptional length. A marvelous champagne, I think it will reach a really good point in another 5 years at which point I believe it will have developed a creamier mousse but still retain much of its youthful vibrance. **(**), 2020-2030+
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On flight (Eva business class). Tasted several times and likely the best Champagne I have had on a flight. Great balance. Touch of yeast and nuttiness, citrus, peaches, and sweetish white fruit. Long finish. Excellent.
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Drinking well now. I tasted this champagne twice this year (once in September and once this week), and one time served by Bollinger at an industry event. Both times I thought it was peaking. If you have some, I'd say that now's the time; even 8 months from now I think a decline will be evident.
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This packs a punch with rich woody notes, underbrush, good powerful intensity in the mouth, long finish but honestly kind of brutish and lacks elegance. Not that Bollinger is know for elegance, but this is sort of a block of wood. I think with time this will improve. Give it 5 years. 66%PN, fermented in oak, aged 6 yrs under cork, 8 g/l.
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A Mix of Champagne; 12/5/2015-12/6/2015 (Ray and Teresa's): Had a small glass at a tasting. As my friend said, this is a metrosexual wine. It is a little masculine but well-balanced with some feminine characteristics. This bottle was not as good as the 2 times I've had it before. Everything was muted. Spending more time with it may have helped it open up, but that wasn't possible tonight.
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den här champagnen börjar på att komma i fas nu. kan nog bli ändå bättre med mer tid. näsan är grym och smaken är riktigt härligt fyllig och dominreas av kola, äpplen, toner av gummi. egentligen bara jälvigt god, svårt att sätta ord på den.
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(Disgorged Jun '14) I had this at Hawksmoor after the Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millenaires 1995 and it wasn't a flattering comparison. I think this is worthy of 92 points but the nutty richness came across like old socks after the refinement of the BdM.
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Beautiful wine. Expansive nose with stone fruit, minerality, wet stone, baker's yeast; great balance with acidity, minerality and yeastiness in good proportions. Enjoyed at Nobu-Dallas.
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This was a lot more fun to drink than the Sep '12 disgorgement of a few nights ago. This had a lovely creamy texture with all the white chocolate and nutty notes that just scream "Bollinger Grande Annee". This is more classic than the 2002 and the above flavours didn't really emerge in my Sep 2012 disgorgement until the wine had been open for quite some time.
2012 disgorgements: leave for now.
2014: Just dive in and enjoy. It's not so much the complexity that appeals but the sheer richness of the wine that make sit stand apart from so much other fizz.
Golden crystal robe enlightened by tiny bubbles. The nose is very fresh, mineral and fruity. The palate adds to the nose the complexity of brioche, buttered and honeyed green apple slowly pan-fried, pastries and fresh almonds. Such great structure can last much longer in the cellar.
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Oct '15 edition (Ben's): Liked this a lot, but it was outclassed by the Taittinger CDC. It's a bigger, rounder wine than the Comtes - the doughy and yeasty flavours are more prominent here, though there's again a faint herbal/green apple skin aspect to the nose. The fruit again comes across with a remarkable sense of freshness on the palate, and there's a vein of stony mineral flavours beneath. Really nice.
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Coming around nicely, but still on the youngish side showing some rather intense structure and texture. Tons of rich minerals, the typical oyster like freshness and lots of citrus zest. After a while golden semi-dark toast appears together with sweet brioche and roasted chestnuts. As written many times before for this and other vintages: the wine certainly shows both power and elegance. There is plenty of texture and structure to allow for further ageing. Yet another solid "Bravo!"
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This has aged with dignity, lovely champagne for sipping in the sun. Nose and palate almost identical. Passionfruit, nutty/biscuity note, a hint of butter.
All and all. Lovely champagne. Even better company to share this with
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I had this with Neil and Jordan after seeing Spectre at the cinema. Bolly seemed an appropriate choice. After the Bolly NV, this showed a great deal more complexity and it was very hard to go back. The last few sips were the best and I should note that this bottle was disgorged in Sep 2012 (one of the earliest releases). It seemed a lot younger than the bottle I had more recently (Jun '14 disgorgement) and this batch will benefit from another year or two of cellaring.
I really think that it's important to note the disgorgement dates of these wines. The bottles of BGA '04 that I have vary by nearly two years and the effect of those two years shouldn't be underestimated. I should however mention that my Jun '14 bottles have spent a lot of that time on a shop shelf. (see my other note).
Overall, very good but I'd get some air to it or leave these for a few years.
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Yeasty, biscuity nose, slight saline, canned tuna aspect with pronounced minerality, low fruit; fine bubbles but not creamy, good intensity, a bit austere, but packs a punch; not too user friendly at the moment--I would give this another 3 years minimum before retrying. Focused, precise, very young, some tart underripe pear, and orchard fruit but very subtle. 91, with potential for 92 or 93 in future.
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Intense aroma and taste showing mature form of champagne. It's time to enjoy this vintage!! 20190120 The large portion of pinot noir brings floral and fruit aroma. No sign of down the slope at all. 94
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I have 2 disgorgement dates for these Champagnes floating around my cellar. I have drank the May '13, and the Nov'13 bottles about a month apart. Both are ready to drink. There is something distinct between the 2 disgorgement dates and I have to say the Nov '13 bottle is many notches above the May '13 bottles. The Nov '13 bottle - the nose reminds me of a '90 Dom Oenotheque I had back in June for my 5 yr Wedding Anniversary.
This tasting note is for the May '13 disgorgement bottle. It will be quite brief - think top notch Chevalier Montrachet from a top producer. Incredible champagne. wow!
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This is showing beautifully at the moment. It has a great depth and complexity to it. It is smooth, textured and with a beautifully long finish and a fabulous mousse that bursts out of the bottle when poured. Gorgeous! We all loved it! However, I sense that the 2004 would benefit from more time in the cellar to help it reach its full exciting potential. It will be fun to see how this develops.
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A bunch of wines at dinner with Friends (Taste): Whoa. This is good. From a WTSO shipment a couple of months back. Medium gold in color. The nose is nice with pears, smoke and hazelnuts. On the palate, this is seriously good. Flavors of smoked nuts and pears. Complex. Fresh and vibrant. Perhaps a bit more mature than I might have expected but drinking beautifully now. Nothing oxidized or anything like that. Great acidity. Long finish.
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Served this beside the 2005 at an island day-time summer party. Gorgeous Champagne - dry, minerally, bright and totally smooth. To my taste a tiny edge over the 2005, but this may just be the consequence of an additional bottle year...
It's hard for me to review champagne because I've never had a champagne I don't like. They all taste great and they're typically pretty complex.
I recently had the 2004 Dom Perignon so I can use that as a reference. The Dom Perignon was heavier, richer, and more powerful.
This Bollinger is softer, brighter, and more elegant. It offers flavors of brioche, apple, lemon, and honey. I think it is more enjoyable now than the Dom Perignon. But my instinct is that the Dom Perignon is a much better wine.
That said, I feel like the Bollinger too would benefit from several years of aging, as the flavor profile has jagged edges. In particular, the toasty brioche seems out of whack.
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This is the 9/14 disgorgement. Toast and brioche on the nose. Toasty yellow fruit and Pinot flavors on the palate, finishing a bit vegetal, some caraway, some bitterness? Off bottle? Very different from the 3/14 disgorgement recently tasted, which was zippy, fruit-driven, and just plain fun in a glass.
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Fantastic vintage Champagne from a fantastic vintage. Made in the typical Bollinger style (e.g. rich) but not overdone at all. This was enjoyed by all.
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I'm a big fan of this wine and have followed it in several vintages. Unfortunately my drinking all of my 97s and 99s quite some time ago and my dislike of the 2000 vintage have lead to me being stuck with painfully young bottles of '02 and '04.
However I snapped a few days ago and grabbed a bottle of the 2004 off the shelf at Majestic to see how this was getting on and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't take notes at the time, but from the first whiff, you could tell that this was something special. (Nuts and smoke etc.) Over the next couple of days, this didn't really improve so I suspect that I might be drinking my bottles before I open my 2002s. Still I'm going to hold this a little longer and see how it turns out.
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Yellow gold colour with fine bead. Lovely nose of pear, apple, stone fruit, almond and fresh bread. Fine intense palate emphasising the fruit character rather than the yeast of past Bollinger styles. Great length and drive that sat well as both aperitif and first seafood course accompaniment. Delicious.
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Bollinger: entirely fermented in barrel. 100% GC and 1er Cru. Only using the cuvee (first press), not the taille. Disgorged Sept 2014, 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. 8g/l dosage. now this has more of the oxidative elements to the nose. toasted walnut. red apple skin. palate has a softness and a roundness. not too oxidative, but also maybe a bit more maturity to the palate, some sandalwood.
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Green apple and lemon aromas and flavors with enticing mineral driven textures and a great mouth feel. I like the current balance of fresh fruit and yeasty, bready notes.
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Pale gold, clear. Light nose, with a bit of burnt caramel. Light tannin, bright acidity. Very heavy mousse, a decent sweetness (but still sec), with some funk on the palate. Short finish. Delicious, but a tad pricey.
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This vintage across the board seems to be consistent among the best producers and even the grower champagnes. This Bolli Grande Anee is no different. We had the Dom 04 last week for my wife's birthday and had the Bolli 04 last night again for her birthday. Fantastic nose, balance, mouth feel. Great citrus notes with brioche and lemon curd. Outstanding.
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wow, this is great juice. there's this coy chocolate and berry thing on the nose, followed by soft, sensual raspberry, subtle toast, and some orchard fruit on the palate. this just coats the tongue and palate and lingers and lingers and lingers. the bead on this is ridiculously fine. while not as complex as the '02, this is a sexy and deceptively glutinous sparkler. drinking well now, i plan on buying more. This bottle was disgorged March of 2014.
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A bit of maturity on the nose with high quality oak, still some raw wood, tropical fruit, star fruit, lots of apples, yeast and a bit of flint and tinder.
Immaculate balance on the palate with a medium+ acidity, no real tartness, round and a medium+ body. High intensity and a long finish.
This is really, really good!
Would wait a few more years to open this though, I thought the dosage showed a bit much at times and will need time to integrate. Tasted together with the 2002 Grand Anne.
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Kan bara instämma med tidigare noteringar. En bra champagne med helt underbar doft med päron, röda äpplen, hasselnötter och massor av steniga mineraltoner. Efter någon timme utvecklades också dofter av bakade äpplen. Otroligt bra balans, fin fräsch syra och lite oxiderade toner. Väldigt bra längd.
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(Disgorged September 2014) Nice yellow colour with very nice small bubbles. On the nose there's nice mature red apples and brown sugar. Nice and refined with a creamy lemon and apple palate. Typical Aÿ Pinot noir filled taste and with a long calvados like finish with a hint of liquorice root. Very nice 'mature' taste despite it's age.
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Developing nose with a medium+ intensity. Initially lots of toasted oak, vanilla, coffee beans and cap gun smoke. It also shows some deeper layers of baked apples, fresh red apples, stone fruit, baked lemon, butterscotch and browned butter.
Dry on the palate with a medium+ acidity and body. The mousse is lively and a little bit aggressive. The flavor intensity is medium+. Loads of super ripe lemons, apple core, bruised red apples, toasted oak, coffee beans and butterscotch. The finish is medium++ with gap gun smoke, chalk dust and baked lemons.
I'm a fan of the style of Bollinger and this is a hell of a tasty champagne, but it needs more time to shows it's full potential.
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A blend of Pinot Noir (2/3) and Chardonnay (1/3), sourced from Grand Cru (88%) and Premier Cru (12%) vineyards. The wine is first fermented and aged in old oak before being bottled. The wine is aged for 7 years before release, of which the wine ages in bottles with the lees for at least 5 years before disgorgement. Disgorged in September 2013, after more than 8 years of aging. 12% alcohol, 6,1 g/l acidity, dosage 9 g/l.
Deep and somewhat developed golden-hued yellow color with subtle green highlights. The nose feels rich, developed and dark-toned with powerful, brooding aromas of toasty autolysis and roasted nuts along with spicy Pinosity, some toffee, a little bit of mocha, a hint of bruised apple, a touch of vanilla custard pastry and a whiff of rhubarb. The wine is rich - borderline massive - and very intense on the palate with noticeable heft and sense of weight. There are intense flavors of toffee, earthy and spicy Pinosity, chalky minerality, tart green apples, some ripe red-toned fruits, a little bit of autolytic toasted bread, a hint of chopped nuts and a touch of caramel. Despite its monolithic size, the wine is still remarkably balanced with its racy acidity. The mousse feels fine, smooth and creamy. The finish is very long, complex and quite robust with intense flavors of steely minerality, cream fudge, tart lemony fruit, some toffee and nuts, a little bit of dark chocolate, a hint of lemon marmalade and an oxidative touch of bruised apple.
A bruiser of a Champagne if there ever was one. But despite its massive size, this wine still manages to show unparalleled finesse and grace, thanks to its bright acid backbone and incisive streak of minerality: it never becomes too tiresome, dull or overweight. The oxidative aging here lends a remarkable boost to the rich, toasty flavors of the wine and adds a whole new level of vinous quality to the fruit. Probably too big of a wine for the fans of lighter and more delicate style, but not for me. Despite its oxidative character the wine is still going strong and feels remarkably youthful at 10 years of age - will keep for years more. Stunning stuff, priced according to its quality at 107,90€.
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Very surprised by this bottle! I do not drink a lot of champagne, especially at this price point. This wine has so much going on. It's soft on the palate with a variety of flavors. The sweetness is toned down, which is what made this a wine I will buy over and again.
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New years eve at home: Great wine, had energy and body and some maturity - great with our lobster in vanilla infused cream sauce. A lot of the white non sparklers poured this evening paled in comparison.
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Perhaps still a bit young, but with time there is no doubt the Bollinger typical tones are there and that they will be developing with further ageing. At first the taster is exposed to abundant minerals, an oyster like freshness and a lovely tone of lime zest. There is a second layer emerging with some time in the glass. Dark toast, almonds, sweet brioche and a subtle whiff of the Bollinger typical roasted chestnuts. This wine certainly shows both power and elegance. A lovely powerful elegance will most likely reveal itself given some further time in the cellar. There is plenty of texture and structure to allow for a graceful development in the cellar. Even if this wine will show even more class with some time in the cellar, it provides prime drinking tonight too. As written many times before, Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good. This 2004 is no exception to the rule. Bravo!
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En bra champagne med helt underbar doft med päron, röda äpplen, hasselnötter och massor av steniga mineraltoner. Efter någon timme utvecklades också dofter av bakade äpplen. Otroligt bra balans, fin fräsch syra och lite oxiderade toner. Väldigt bra längd.
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Christmas Champagne Tastings 2014: Tasted alongside the 04 Grande Année Rosé. This was classical Bollinger with plenty of muscle and pinot-notes. Was still very young but very enjoyable. though objectively of the same quality as the rosé, then the rosé was just slightly more charming today. Bollinger reconfirmed it's place as one of my favorite champagne Grande Margues (with Pol Roger), and I still think that the Grande Année is of the same quality as most prestige cuvees.
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Still on the 'youngish' side, but certainly developing the Bolly typical tones of maturity. In just a few years the stiff, closed impression will most likely totally have disappeared. The first sniff reveals classy minerals, oysters and a lovely citrus tone. There is asecond layer emerging with some air: dark toast, brioche and roasted chestnuts. Taken together, this effort has both power and elegance. With some age these elements will most likely integrate and provide the classy powerful elegance which I totally adore. There is plenty of texture and structure to allow for a graceful development in the cellar. This vintage may still need some time but please do not be mistaken, it certainly provides prime drinking tonight too - even more so if given a soft decant. Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good. This 2004 is no exception to the rule. Bravo!
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Très beau nez sur le rancio (léger), les noix et la brioche. En bouche, les bulles sont fines, délicates et je note un peu de noix de pin. La finale est longue et légèrement oxydée. Superbe!
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Bollinger Tasting (Sunfish Cellars, St. Paul, MN): Light-medium gold color. 3oz pour. 66%PN, 34%C. Great nose, fine bead, wonderfully toasted - much more so than the '02 RD - with lemon, pear, liqueured fruit, mineral, bold. The palate also has excellent depth, great toast, yeast, liqueured fruit, a subtle nuttiness, very good minerality. I love the energy and the length overall. Sleek and gorgeous, this will benefit from a few more years in the cellar.
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Nuts and nougat and by now well integrated. A rather complex champagne, and not for the beginner, I do not think. My fifth time drinking this vintage and I always found it very good, however this is not quite top notch.
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Full, Deep, toasty nose. Ripe apple, bread, almost perfume-like. Hints of flowers. Quite develped palate. Fullish with pure acid grip. Marzipan, ripe apple and hints of flowers. Very tasty and inviting.
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Champagne Dinner (L'Apicio): A huge, broad, powerful champagne, more pinoty than the others with some red berry flavors to go along with the more famiilar apple/pear notes, and quite a bit of spice. The richness and density works nicely with the big 04 acid, and this was the only champagne in the lineup where I noticed significant dry extract. Excellent, even if I slightly preferred the 04 DP in style, and needs time.
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Champagne dinner (L'Apicio, NYC.): Drokk! Look ... this is a big Champagne. The austerity and acidity of the 04's have combined with the Bolly house style to create a monster. Nose of eau-de-vie, huge lemon, pear, nutty, spicy. Wait, this smells like Madeira. WTF? Huge. Spicy, brown, broad, lemon, spice-ginger, big. Lemon spice finish. This is good, but I prefer the 2002 overall. I'm not sure how to rate this. How do you rate the Hulk?
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Innsmigrende nese av gulfrukt, røde epler. Silkemyk i munnen med medium konsentrasjon. Elegant. Fin friskhet og meget godt balansert. Følger opp med epler på smak også. Lang finish med lette mineraler. Ungdommelig. 91-92p
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Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with tiny, steady beading. Nose of dough, lychee, a tiny splash of sherry and mixed yellow fruits. Flavors of lemon, cherry and mixed yellow fruits. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Rich, smoky, spicy, this is really composed, broad but with authority and tension. Really excellent and/but with a hefty dose of that oxidation...I don't have enough experience with these to know whether that's going to protect it in a long life or kill it early. I guess we'll see.
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Second time tasted with consistent notes. Such a gorgeous, rich, but still so young Grand Annee. Nose opens up nicely after 30 minutes to reveal fresh ginger, candied lemon peel, caramel apple, salted toffee, butterscotch, saline, lime zest and apple strudel. Palate still has screaming acid with very well measured dosage (feels like 8 g/l). Drinking well today, but optimal drinking is still a few years down the line. Definitely has the potential to be classic. 94 points today. 95 - 96 is in it's future.
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Deg. May 2013: This bottle was quite youthful and does not have the oxidative notes the Oct. 2012 degorged bottles have. Golden in color. Nose of white flowers, yeast, and toasted bread. Very nice balance and complex flavors. For a Brut, the dosage does not seem too high. All in all a great Champagne at a very early drinking phase. Overall a good PVR.
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Light yellow colour with fine and tiny bubbles. Nose shows nice maturity already with hints of oak and mature apples. The palate is very youthful with nice lenght.
This bottle degorged September 2014.
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The color is hay gold, brilliant, with miniscule bubbles. The smells are apple, ginger, almond, honey, and sweet exotic spices. The tastes are apple, apricot, ginger, buttered toast, and almonds. The spicy and zingy finish is delicious and would be nearly perfect for any food.
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Deg Oct.2012: Golden in color. Nose of dark bread and sweet caranek apples. Very elegant, well structured and long. Dosage fits the wine well. Drink now without any hurry. Opens up in the glass
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Hmmmm, not all it should be. Dreary, excessively yeasty/biscuity, with no zip, no lift, and just not all that pleasurable. Wasn't quite corked... Though it would have been better if it was... Then no doubts... As it is, I have a dozen more. Fingers crossed for the next bottle.
This is the 3rd time we had this wine in the last year and definitely this has now settled down into a rich, ripe very expressive champagne. Vibrant and with good acidity and starting to show a rounder side to it. pretty solid. 92-93 for now but will definitely improve
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Beuatiful, intense, complex nose of hazel nuts, cream, butter, red apple and lime, with herbal notes. The palate is dry and crisp showing an elegant wine, with medium body, medium alcohol with fairly intense flavours of nut, lime, red and yellow apple, and a long finish. The complexity is budding, the wine is elegant and stylish and has a long life a head of it, but already drinks very well. Will easily improve until 2020, probably a good deal longer.
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Bottle Deg. October 2012. Light golden in color. Wonderful nose of flowers, nuts and toasted bread. Highly elegant and complex. It starts developing wonderfully with air. Having recently been a 'victim' of growers Champagne (which I truly love), it was a confirmation to see how great the Cuvees from the large houses can be. A true beauty 94pts. Drink now - 2022
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This bottle was a bit off compared to my last. Very good still, but less of the nuttiness and nougat in mid-palate, with slightly too much tartness from the green apple. The finish was still great. My guess is that this was a little off, but it's also clear that this is still quite tight and (like I said in an earlier review) needs to spend a fair number of years in the cellar to be really great. 93+
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A Friday evening at Marea (Marea, NYC): In the glass, clear pale gold with a very slight pink tint, and relatively few bubbles. On the nose, a mix of citrus and baked bread. On the palate, somewhere between sweet red apple and slightly sour green apple, and a faint hint of oak, with very little of the yeasty/bread notes one might expect after the aromatics, and a moderately creamy texture.
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Bollinger (and Krug) has a much wider palate than most other producers from this district, with nuts and nougat, mixed with apples. And a marvelous nose. A great champagne from an important producer. Needs 2-3 hours for the cream to really show.
Single blind tasting of 12 champagnes and sparkling wines: Clearly a high level champagne. Showing some oak, but deep and complex. Well balanced. Nice mouthfeel and my second favourite (by a whisker) in the tasting. Not quite as good as the 2002 though
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Lovely and rich nose filled with plenty of sweet apple fruit, smoke and hazelnuts. The palate is equally impressive with lot of red and yellow sweet apple flavor with a touch of hazelnut and vanilla. Plenty of oak and sweetness but very true to the house style. A great wine.
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I think CHRISTOFFER78 and I drank the same bottle. The only difference I noted was the power/structure of the wine. The acidity was front and center but fantastic all around.
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A stunningly beautiful but also very young LGA. This 2004 expresses tons of green apple, toast, lightly roasted walnuts, sweet brioche and a citrus perfume which is just adorable. The palate is perfectly balanced and offers a lovely structure and texture embraced by a lovely and expressive mousse. The length on the finish is quite impressive and it seems to last for over a minute. This is stunning example of the house style: elegance combined with power and structure. It is of course brutally young right now and it needs a couple of years to come around. Still it is without the slightest doubt a treat tonight too.
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One of my very favorite 2004s. This should really appeal to those who enjoy the Bollinger style. Green apple and freshly baked bread on the nose. The palate matches with unreal freshness. The Pinot certainly dominates at the beginning, giving off creamy apples and nougat, but the Chardonnay gives an almost endless slightly smokey mineral finish. So much structure here. This should be unbelievable in 5 years or so, and extraordinary in a decade or more, but it's hard not to want it all now.
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From a bottle that must have been open at least 24 hours. Someone wrote nougat, and that is a very fitting description. Perfect integration with the red and green apples very elegantly appearant, however short on mousse and bubbles.
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Light color with slight mousse and tiny bubbles; Red apple flavors with a touch of toast. 2/3 Pinot/1/3 Chardonnay; 8 years in barrels. Complex and a slightly lighter bodied example of this Cuvee. Should improve with age. A personal favorite wine. Tasted at Bollinger in Ay.
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Disgorged October 2012. Very seductive already with notes of very luxurious multi-dimensional apple sauce with hints of oak treatment. Same on the palate with a very refreshing acidity. Feels very low dosage, lower than the displayed Brut. Compared to the 2002 this is more extrovert but less intellectual. Should provide excellent drinking now-2025. The fruit was particularly reminiscent of a small grower I hold dear in Aÿ.
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This was spot on. a bit sweet but so silky smooth with not a rough edge on it. apple, brioche,and honey. heavy mousse that lead to a creamy mid palate. This was really good and I will get my hands on more
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Pnp. My fourth time drinking this vintage, and this time the LGA is singing. Finally the red and green apples, have found their place, in the forefront, but well integrated, supported by a slight touch of bred and citrus. 17 euro by the glass, which is quite a treat.
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Lovely Champagne from a really good and likable vintage, and of course, producer. The Grand Année 2004 is a classical Bollinger, toasted nose with red apples, some yest and nuts. Lovely taste of red and yellow apples, some pears, minerals and some subtle and enriching oak spice. Has a touch of nice oxidized apples on the finish, giving it a somewhat early maturity taste. Drinks really good now, and will continue to do so for years ahead. Lovely Champagne, indeed.
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A private dinner (Restaurant Ciel Bleu **, Amsterdam, NL): Rich but not deep colour; lovely nose, candied fruit, noticeable oak influence, 2004-freshness, distinctive note of five spice; medium weight, quite evolved flavours, not as tightly wound or energetic as the 2002, attractive and well-balanced; very good length. Drinking well, not for the very long term.
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For whatever reason this showed better than a bottle a week ago, despite the fact that it was poured while we were eating a sweet ice cream/berry/merringue dessert. This drinks great now but tastes a little young and I suspect it will come together in a couple years. Not a bruiser, full of finesse. Looking forward to trying it with more age.
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Memorable Grand Champagne Tasting (St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Beautifully toasted on the nose, nice streak of minerals, pastry cream, yeast, heady mousse, pear, bread. The palate is younger, yeasty, brioche, intense and powerful, but remains elegant and finessed, pear, apple, white peach, a touch chalky on the finish. Lovely. This was drinking a bit younger than the '04 Vilmart.
Epic Champagne Tasting (St. Paul, MN): Probably better but after the heavy hitters before just lacks in comparison. Not Vilmart, Krug or Tattinger level. Apple, spice, dough and minerals. Decant acidity but just not in the league of the best.
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Pnp. My third time drinking this vintage. More mature than the 2002 and seems to be ready for drinking. Probably not for the long term. Brioche and nuttiness, that may show better with some more bottle age. Reminds me of Krug, but does not have quite the same complexity and elegance. 92+.
Tons of intensity. Well balanced, has a lot of flavor with minerals and yeast that just seem to be amped up. I'd like to see this in a couple years after it has had a chance to mellow out.
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Monthly Tasting Group: CDP's and Southern Rhones (Cafe Lurcat, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. This was very pretty and elegant. The nose is a bit reticent now, minerals, floral, pear. The palate is energetic with good intensity yet delicate, very fine bead, pear, subtle red apple, minerals and a medium plus finish. There was something else I couldn't quite put my finger on in the flavor profile that was appealing. I'm looking forward to tasting this again in about 10 days and having a longer examination.
Last minute dinner with Len: Earthy, toast, peach and a touch floral. More rich than the 02 and the acidity is more folded in. Opened quickly in the glass and showed even more richness. Not as driven as the 02 but still a very good wine.
Light yellow colour with a stream of fine tiny bubbles. On the nose there's brazil nut, citrus, elder flowers, hazelnuts and liquorice. And everything tied up with minerals and flint. The palate is youthful, but already showing incipient softness. The finish is round and long.
The soft and round finish makes it available from the start, but the nice acidity hiding behind it should make it good for cellaring.
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LCBO Tasting Bar Sample. Drinking nicely though a bit young at this point. Nose blasts caramel apples, salted toffee, smoked salt, fresh baked brioche drizzled in honey, sugar soaked lemon peel, shortbread. Massively complex and rich. Palate as expected is more linear and acidic while also replaying rich notes and just right dosage. Excellent balance and long finish. Will age nicely and I anticipate it to peak in 6-8 years, though no harm in checking in on a bottle now. 94 today with upside potential.
Quite different from my previous tasting. Fully integrated and the red apples are not as appearant anymore. Apples, toast and quite a lot of citrus as with the LGA rosé 2004. Nice bubbles but a bit weak mousse. The 2002 seems to harbour much more complexity than the 2004 vintage and the 2004 is probably better to drink now than the previous release.
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HK Christmas party. Savoury with usual toasty notes. Not as dense/heavy as previous examples - came across lighter and quite refined which I preferred. Hopefully will continue to age well.
Servi en magnum, dégorgé en mars 2013. Assemblage de 66% de Pinot noir et 34% de Chardonnay. Robe d'or pâle. Ne pas servir trop frais surtout, plutôt à température de cave, c'est le conseil de la maison. C'est finement beurré au nez, on sent une structure s'avancer et la bouche le confirme, par son opulence, sa rondeur, ses fines touches de noix et de beurre, c'est encore tout jeune et une preuve supplémentaire, s'il en fallait, que le Champagne est un grand vin de garde
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Crush's Champagne Gala 2013 (Crush Wine & Spirits, Midtown Manhattan): Straw. Huge, yeasty, sauvage nose -- like wild yeast; savage and wild; really primary -- lemon is all I got as to detail. Palate is ginormous, intense acidity but with good, sweet fruit, too: think rock candy mountain. Firm mousse and terrific length. Fantastic Champagne. The best BGA I've tried in a long while as the '02 was closed for business the last time(s) I had it.
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Crush's Annual Champagne Gala 2013 (Crush Wine & Spirits, Midtown Manhattan.): Whoa. This is a beast: not just rich in the Bolly style, but huge and burly on the nose with really broad shoulders. Matt says "sauvage": brown, gnarly and stinky with yeast, creamy, malty, spicy with lemon and pear. Palate is just as huge: burly and structured - really a mouthful. like a dense sculpture: lemon, vanilla, brown, spice, rough. This has a lot of potential - but I don't think it will ever be a subtle and elegant wine. Nose - 5+/6, Palate - 5+/6, Finish - 5+/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16-16.5+/20.
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känns som en champagne som mognar tidigt, vinet har redan toner av nötter, brioche, massa gula mogna äppen, kola-toner. ett jäkligt bra vin helt enkelt.
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Golden yellow in colour. Ripe, sweet fruit, tropical notes, baked apple, brioche, a hint of honey. Fine and gentle bubbles, rich and off-dry on the palate, apples, stone fruit, lime, yeast, good freshness, young and bold. Slightly oxidised. Complex and rich, excellent. Good future. 93+
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The nose here is all exotic, tropical fruit, particularly pineapple. Also an obvious lactic element reminiscent of clotted cream or thickly buttered toast. The palate is very rich, for me a bit overdone, tending brioche or creme brûlée, a little cloying. The oxidative style here seemed a little old fashioned and one dimensional, lacking sufficient focus or precision. 90.
This was a real disappointment after the remarkable 1996 Grande Année we enjoyed last week and the excellent 2002 Grande Année I had a year ago.
Clear and bright, medium gold colour with small bubbles. The nose is clean and developing with pronounced intensity aromas of yeast, biscuit, dried figs, yellow apple, lemon peel and cream. It's off-dry in the mouth, with high acidity, medium- alcohol, light body, creamy mousse and pronounced intensity flavours of dried figs, yellow apples, lemon peel, biscuits and cream. The finish is long. It's a very good quality wine with a good balance between fruit and autolytic aromas, with an integrated acidity and some complexity, but the aromas are slightly oxidized. Drink now, not suitable for ageing.
Cellier Wine Fair (Intercontinental Hotel): 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay Clear mid lemon color. The nose is clean, complexity of med+ intensity, lemon at first and then tropical fruits emerge, oak and yeast derived aromas come after that with butter, almonds and walnuts, youthful. Dry, med+ body, intensity and acidity, med alcohol, excellent balance and structure, dried exotic fruits with pear, green apple and pineapple on the med+ finish. Outstanding quality, ultra premium price, drinking now but could age.
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Poped and pour. Great, red, apples and with a touch of toast, but due to its youth this champagne does not show much more than this. Wait 2-3 years and it will probably burst into something special. As of now, the NV is actually to prefer.
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Institute of Masters of Wine 9th Annual Champagne Tasting (San Francisco): nose: after the Roederer 2006, this was super shy and soft in aroma. I got faint peach, but it was really not very aromatic in general. palate: I found this lean for a typical Bollinger, but I think something more magical lies in wait. Some chalk was evident, but the wine was hard to evaluate behind whatever stone wall it is hiding right now. I'm disappointed I wasn't able to make a more complete evaluation in the setting.
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Kul att prova direkt en RD 1988 efter då släktskapet är så tydligt. 2004 GA är en av de bättre 04orna jag druckit. Balanserat, fylligt och krämig mousse. Klart ett vin för lagring, om det överlever så länge
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More evolved nose than I expected, oxidative(not oxidized), baking spices, rich autolytic character. Somewhat primary and unresolved on the palate, of course as it's so young. Rich and quite wide, a promising young GA. We'll meet again.
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A blend of Pinot Noir (2/3) and Chardonnay (1/3), sourced from Grand Cru (88%) and Premier Cru (12%) vineyards. The wine is first fermented and aged in old oak before being bottled. The wine is aged for 7 years before release, of which the wine ages in bottles with the lees for 5 years.
Surprisingly youthful, green-hued color for a Champ with 9 years of age. Quite rich, developed and expressive nose with attractive, complex aromas of toffee, roasted walnuts, sweet citrus fruit, honey, some toasted bread crust, a faint, brooding undertone of nuanced oxidation and nuances of pipe tobacco and apple pie with vanilla sauce. On the palate the wine feels dry, quite full-bodied and rather muscular with complex, but surprisingly robust and intense flavors that follow the nose. The fruit aromas of baked apple and very ripe citrus fruits - even lemon marmalade - are supported by layered nuances of roasted nuts, honey, burnt sugar, brioche and oxidative hints of almonds and caramel. The fine mousse feels rather soft and mellow, yet the wine feels really tightly-wound due to the remarkably high acidity. Overall the wine feels really big, almost monolithic, for a Champagne, yet not one bit too heavy. The long, crisp and powerful finish feels harmonious with developed, complex flavors of honey, burnt sugar, some oxidative notes of nuts and caramel and hints of coffee, counterpointed by hints of lemony sharpness and baked apple sweetness, emphasized by the dosage of 7-8 g/l.
Even at 9 years of age, this wine is still a baby. There are some oxidative hints reminding me of Oloroso Sherry or Madeira - even more so than in LGA 2002 - yet the wine feels painfully young and demanding much more age in a cellar. There is a lot of stuff, but the wine feels a bit awkward and disjointed, suggesting that it won't show its best yet, but probably after a few years. I would, however, let the wine age a lot more before opening one - after all, a wine like this can easily take 20-30 more years easily. Definitely a must for people who enjoy bigger, bolder and heavier Champagnes. If served this young, I could imagine the wine benefiting a lot from letting it breathe in a decanter. Highly recommended Champagne, but mainly for cellaring purposes. Priced according to its quality at 99,90€.
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Peach to golden apple nose with some rhubarb bite, mushroomy earth, vanilla, smoke, peat and something almost malty. Dry, full bodied and rich on the round palate with gentle smooth moussé. Fruit is peachy but not very intense at all. Oak treatment and autolysis are way more prominent. Hazelnuts, vanilla and again something malty rich. Long finish. Not that balanced performance at the moment. Rich, open and approachable for sure, but the fruit isn't keeping up with the other components. Needs time to find balance. Good stuff anyway.
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This has evolved nicely since last year. Full on rich champagne, lots of honey notes on the nose. Honey dominates actually. Citrus, ripe citrus full of body and depth. Still on the young side with a sharp side to it at this stage but as time goes by this should become a magnificent wine. 92 now but full of promise.
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At the Bordeaux Index Champagne Tasting. From Magnum. Quite developed already and much like the other 2004s we tried on the night ( Dom, Comte de champagne) it felt a lot more approachable than the sharp 2002s at the same age. Well round lush but with lot of life ahead of it. Light toasty on the nose. To be honest at this stage the Special Cuvee NV is probably a better proposition. 91
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Subtle aromas of orange blossom, apricots, violets, honey, touch of oak, but still very shy On the palate little edgy, honey, poached pear with creamy mouse and full body. As on the nose feels very shy with fairly shallow finish. Will be interesting to see how it will develop. Tasted from Magnum. Once after it was just open and 2 hours after. Disgorged October 2012
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Pale to medium gold colour, very steady stream of fine bubbles; quite a tight nose but has lovely defined floral and blossom notes alongside the more typical autolytic character; good energy on the palate, complex already, lovely flavour. Quit long and spreads out nicely across the palate. Very good length actually, one of the most approachable and enjoyable young Grand Annee vintages I have tasted. 94-96
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Very fine bubbles...light yellow color...moderate volume...not as fruity and rich as the nv bollinger, but more elegant...still young, but already accessible...i doubt this will have a very long life...will probably be best in 2 to 5 years...not as impressive as the grande année rosé 2004...
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primarily of Pinot Noir and from the typical house style of using 100% old oak barrels, this is aged for 5 years on its lees and provides an abundance of full on flavor with nice balance, crisp acidity and lots of nice stone fruit to make for a real treat.
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Nose - wonderful! Apples and pears; soft and all in balance. Palate - sadly the promise of the nose does not follow through to the palate. A little watery. Pear juice, grapefruit, lychees, Granny Smith green apples. Long finish. I think this is way too young to drink - I hope it will improve with age, but I would always choose the 2002 over the 2004. 89 pts.
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Disgorged September 2012. Very young, of course, but compared to the 2002 this is much more accessible. Toast, citrus fruits and toffee. Quite complex and long. Good acidity, but lower than the 2002. This is a very good champagne that will improve, but I don't think it needs many years to reach its peak as it dies a bit after an hour in the glass.
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3/23/2024 - RED AND BLACK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Side by side 2002 GA. I think the chardonnay in the 2002 is just better than here and probably makes the 2002 a better champagne, but overall this is still going strong and is a great wine with life ahead
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2/11/2024 - VindependenceDay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic brioche, golden apple, honey. Still fresh, acidic, plenty of bubbles. Three glasses went down effortlessly.
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2/6/2024 - olalar wrote: 94 Points
So much pure power here. Consequently not the most elegant but so many flavors to enjoy. Seems time to drink this within the next 5 years or so.
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1/10/2024 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Really showing off. Manly, accent on the Pinot, myshrooms, spice, tobacco, real depth, sous bois; drinking a point.
#Enomania#HSA&Musse
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12/28/2023 - AudunG wrote: flawed
Corked! Very corked!
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12/21/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Wilmette Harbor Club): Walkaround gala tasting. Very big, very bready with long, well textured finish. Not my fav style, but very good in that style.
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11/29/2023 - Tartiflette wrote: flawed
Corked
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10/3/2023 - sooper65 wrote: 84 Points
Flat, dull, below par. Again.
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9/9/2023 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is in a very good window right now.
On the nose: White chocolate, creamy fudge, vanilla and dried mango.
On the palate: Candied lemon, kumquat, vanilla and sherry.
Long finish
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8/6/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deepish straw, and somewhere between full maturity and being a little past peak. Big, lactic nose, with hints of Chelsea buns, sea air and something sharp and smoky, but more freshness would have been welcome. Massive on the palate, with notes of apple juice and roasted hazelnuts, and some apple compote on the extremely long, chalky, delicious finish (which was my favourite part of the wine; if the nose had matched it I'd have given a much higher score).
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8/3/2023 - canan wrote: 94 Points
Great flavors of yellow and red apples combined with a vibrant acidity. Lemon intensity and good length. Seems to be approaching its peak! Lovely!
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8/3/2023 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Yellow and red apples with a wonderful acidic backbone. Vibrant and exciting wine that are starting to open up nicely. Impressive wine!
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7/22/2023 - jerhardt wrote:
Evolving gracefully and in a great place right now. Golden yellow, rich, and complex. I’ll target a bottle a year or so to follow over the next decade-plus…
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6/11/2023 - Tartiflette Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very difficult not to like this Champagne. And in a perfect place right now. It lacks acidity to be perfect (which the 2002 we also drank had). Fat and creamy texture. Pineapple, baked apple, citrus and brioche, hazelnut and chalk. Long aftertaste. One of my favourite houses and the LGA always deliver.
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6/3/2023 - RED AND BLACK Likes this wine:
Always deliver. So glad I could buy this and other vintages before the world of wine prices gone mad, totally non sense mad! And more non sense madness from those who currently pay those money now, you are all idiots!
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4/10/2023 - MaxRad wrote:
straw to yellow color. Sherry, burnt toast. complex to enjoy, but seems is on the downside of its drinking window now.
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4/7/2023 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still very medium straw color, extremely effervescent. Very oxidative with a crazy amount of yellow apple, lemon pastry, and sea salt. Strives for richness, but so uplifting and light on its feet. A hint of toasty oak and smoke emerges long after the last sip.
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3/15/2023 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 94 Points
It was an almost special occasion so wanted to drink a special bottle but not one of my most special. Although I think this could have qualified for the latter!
Golden color, oxidative nutty and honey nose, very concentrated and rich on the palate, full of orchard fruit and brioche. Ripe golden delicious apples dipped in honey. Felt really indulgent and did not last long.
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2/25/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 91 Points
Yvelin's farewell: Better than the ‘99 or ‘02 that I tried the previous day. Much fresher, guessed late 2000s or early 2010s from a warmer vintage. Curiously some others didn’t think it was champagne but thought this was quite a clear-cut house champagne, and I guessed LGA based on the 99/02 I had the previous day. Good but still not my cup of tea because of the overt ripeness and sweetness.
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1/8/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Med. gold-amber-yellow; Beautiful finesse, elegant, ethereal, yellow peach, macerated, stewed pit fruits, super concentration everything in place. Great wine and along with the Cristal was the clear winner. My #1 and group's #1. I guessed '02 Comtes. Yarom Group DD Champagnes at Blooming VIP Chinese.
3 days late: sappy, orchard fruit- peach and apricot- sourdough, lemon tart; Bubbles gone but good weight on the palate and med+ length with a sappy, tangy, almost saline finish.
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1/3/2023 - vagrantone wrote: flawed
Undrinkable; went done the kitchen sink.
Most likely a rare case of TCA in Champagne.
Stripped of all aromas but without the TCA mustiness.
Bitter and astringent finish.
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1/2/2023 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
Yellow golden...oxidative style...brioche, rich....
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12/14/2022 - Tartiflette wrote: 91 Points
This bottle seemed quite developed and lacking acidity to back the fruit. Still a pleasure to drink but I wouldn’t keep them for long.
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12/10/2022 - swade wrote: 93 Points
Golden hue. Orchard fruit and floral aromas. Lots of interest on the palate with nut skin, dried fruit and a minerally finish. 93
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10/21/2022 - Swintonblade Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking excelllent!
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10/15/2022 - RED AND BLACK Likes this wine:
Disgorged March 2014. This is as usual superb drinking
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10/4/2022 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Drank with friends for my son's baptism. Excellent, everyone loved. We also drank the 08 and an 02. Response was very diverse regarding which was liked best. In all excellent champagne as always.
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9/8/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Guy's Night: Open Your Last Bottle (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light medium gold color. Drank 2 glasses over 75 minutes. Apricot, baked apple, oxidative, chalk, rich and a little fat, yeasty, nuthorns, hints of cherry, lime on the finish. 93+ to 94pts.
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9/8/2022 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Open your last bottle (Jason and Mariellen's house): My last bottle (per the theme of the tastng). This was interesting and complex. There was a vegetal funkyness that for a second made me think it might be corked. But it obviously was not. The wine is slightly oxidized but not overly still, it is still quite enjoyable. The finish ends a little flat, as though the wine is fat and needs a bit more acid at the end.
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9/8/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Guys Night Out - Open your last bottle of something you had multiple bottles of at one time!: PnP - very nice Champagne with plenty verve...nose showed lots of minerality with seashore dominating, but also a little funk (in a good way) with hints of stone fruit and honey, also slight oxidative notes. Palate was lively with a fine mousse characterized by fine bubbles that cascaded down your throat. The palate showed some tart apple, pear and saline notes with some slightly oxidized notes, which led to a discussion if it was intentional or not....we concluded it was a stylistic trait for this wine. 93+ for my palate....I found this very enjoyable!
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4/29/2022 - merlotsmile wrote: 91 Points
Vinminnen 8
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4/9/2022 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 93 Points
Powerfull with smoke, vanilla, peach, winter apples and ripe lemon. High acidity keeping things fresh. Very good lenght. Yum!
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3/15/2022 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was much more mature than the last one.
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1/22/2022 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Rich and dense with lots of red apple fruit but also a lovely refreshing energy. The wine seems to be at a perfect mid-point where it balances between the complexity of age and the youthful acidity. It is truly drinking wonderful right now! Very true to the house style and at the moment, I prefer this vintage to the 02. Absolutely loved it!
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1/20/2022 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Again very good. Rich and round and quite evolved, both in colour and on the nose. Slightly nutty with notes of dried fruit. On the palate bright and precise, quite mineral with good fruit and richness. Fine length. Drink or keep. 92-94
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1/8/2022 - SSGibson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Notes similar to last.
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12/23/2021 - thesternowl wrote: 93 Points
Christmas lunch date at V. Mertz. Disgorged January 2013. No formal notes. Rich in style with bruised apple, brioche, honey and some nutty, oxidative notes too. Zippy acid still. A truly wonderful way to close out the meal. Drink now.
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11/7/2021 - psyrah wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/3/2021 - ubercuvee wrote:
Drinking brilliantly from mag
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10/11/2021 - jerhardt wrote:
Three years since my last bottle. Maturing in line with those prior experiences, ie rich, robust, and with a noticeable sense of dosage. Ready to drink any time.
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7/23/2021 - olracx62 Likes this wine: 94 Points
at the eye it shows a wonderful golden yellow and releases scents of boulangerie and stone minerality. At the palate - consistent with nose - what impresses is its sharp taste and the clear notes of citrus and lemon which make a long and sumptuous final. A truly bold champagne, just entered in its best drinking window, already benefitting from 7 years after degorgement, but still with a long and bright future ahead. In a cloudy afternoon at the Blades, sip by sip along with culatello and quiche, PD appreciates
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4/3/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Light-medium gold color. Drank a glass plus over an hour. Explosive bead, dense nose, caramelized fresh air, toasted, almond nuthorns, melon and pear. The palate is full and rich, yet still lifted, fuzzy minerality, tart green apple, pear, and white melon, toffee, and a nice finish of toast. Loved it, in a great spot. 94+pts and maybe underscored.
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2/20/2021 - angryphoton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vinous style of champagne, rich style but still has enough cut to prevent it from being boring. Might not appeal to the acid freak crowd but has enough complexity to make it a fun drink. Bought this when it was like $80, would not pay current prices for it now though.
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2/19/2021 - FjordogFjell wrote: 90 Points
Feirer nytt hus. Zalto champagne. Rik lukt med kjeks og pære. Rik sødmefull smak med pære, kjeks, nesten for mye. Plomme. Kånå e begeistra. Testet i Zalto universal. To mutch.
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2/16/2021 - CWang wrote: 94 Points
Intensely floral and fruity in the nose, chamomile, dates, grapefruits, pears, nectar, and buttered toasts; layers of fruits on the palate, cherries, lemon peels, rock salt, walnuts, yeasts, and wood spices; long finish; overall, enjoyable enough despite the still noticeable acidity, so 93-94 points at this stage.
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2/15/2021 - SSGibson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep gold with a fine mousse and full mouth feel. Rich and complex with brioche and almond and more toasty notes coming forward as it warmed up a bit. Satisfyingly long finish. Perfect match for our Valentine's dinner of seafood pasta with lemon and garlic. Drinking really well now. Yum!
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2/2/2021 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
PnP. Has really come together since the last one 4 1/2 years ago; more depth, nicely developed complexity, etc. That said, I still preferred the cut and vigor of the '08 on this night. Can hold, to be sure, but not seeing a reason to wait. recommended
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1/24/2021 - psyrah Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious, very refreshing, drinking very well.
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12/31/2020 - Bluespolo wrote: 93 Points
Naso dolce burroso ed opulento, torta di mele, piccola pasticceria, agrumi canditi, appena un po’ di tostato. Al palato struttura ampia, dosaggio che si avverte, freschezza e bollicine che sostengono e contengono una morbidezza che altrimenti potrebbe tracimare. Uno champagne godurioso, più di pancia che di testa; una di quelle bottiglie che non faticano per nulla a svuotarsi.
Sboccatura luglio 2013.
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12/31/2020 - djarcara Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep golden color. Perfumed nose. Full body. This is a rich wine. Flavors of butterscotch, almonds, pear, quince, brioche, and a touch of lemon. Slightly oxidized, but in a favorable way. There is a nice underlying acidity to balance things out. drink now and for the next 5+years.
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12/28/2020 - MattsTheBest Likes this wine: 100 Points
Had a bottle with Dylan and Neil at NYY. Thought it was delicious. Fresh and refreshing.
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12/28/2020 - MattsTheBest Likes this wine: 92 Points
I thought this was perfect. Tasted delicious. Light and refreshing.
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11/4/2020 - Nicephoras wrote:
So much variation on these. Sometimes they're chiseled with acidity. This was broad and creamy, but without an acid backbone. Supposedly starting with the 08 vintage some of the variation has been fixed, but it's all over the place.
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11/4/2020 - Frede84 wrote:
This felt flawed.
Too much oxi.
Still Nice creamy, none the less.
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10/21/2020 - burgburgburg wrote: 92 Points
In a good balance at this stage with good energy and finesses. Yet to enter secondary stage.
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10/14/2020 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Disgorged November 2013. After a totally mind blowing bottle a few months back I thought to try another one of that case to see if it can repeat the performance. Please see my previous TN but this again was just so spot on. Ultimately as a wine collector those are the bottles that put the biggest smile on your face - some that you bought quite "cheap" (few years back at £50 all in per bottle equivalent by the case in a sale by a wine merchant), a wine that was good a few years ago but not actually spectacular, but that is now at a great plateau. From first sniff a oozes complexity, nuttiness, caramel and shows a wonderful balance of richness and poise with good acidity and precision on the palate. Really terrific and often I find Bollinger over-oaked but when it has been absorbed (like is the case in those bottles) sufficiently it can be wonderful. Pound for pound most likely the best wine I had this year and great to get a consistency from two bottles. So if you have those with this disgorgement date I would urge you to check in!
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8/18/2020 - Eugenedinapoli Likes this wine:
Gold. Totally integrated bubbles smokey, toasty, oxidative notes of almonds and olives all wrapped in oak richness. Silky smooth creamy and classy. Complex and perfectly balanced. As it warmed a slight sweetness emerged to contrast with the tart notes. Wow.
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7/27/2020 - Sjontoft wrote: 93 Points
Excellent bottle. Quite yellow in the glasss. Very lively with lots of fizz. Not showing much age.
Nose with lemon juice and peel. Yeasty and bread notes apparent.
Long in the mouth and consistent with the nose. Slightly floral.
To be truly superb more complexity would be required, but a very nice bottle.
Drinking well not sure whether it gets better with age or not.
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7/3/2020 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Disgorged November 2013. Sometimes you have those bottles that over-deliver against expectations and those are the ones that most put a smile on your face. This was one of them. 4th bottle of a case I liked the previous experiences but they didn't stick in my memory as truly superb. This bottle was different. From popping the cork the wine showed immense depth and vinosity, toffee, caramel, the oak here better managed than I remember it (always felt a tad glumsy), a nice acidity on the finish that kept you reaching for the next sip, very dimplomatic in stature like a statesman, in fact blind I might have gone Krug here on the house. This was a truly wonderful bottle and I just hope the next bottle will be as good. Based on this one pop corks, not sure how much better it can get...
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6/6/2020 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
It’s been good 6 years since we tried his last ( Papies 93) and very happily surprised to find it in such a good place as longevity with Bollie Grand Anne has always been a question mark for us. Andreas who tried it first thought it was the 2006 as it had still quite a bit of energy. Definitely past it’s best though , a bit too ripe , round and with a rich on the toasty and yeasty side champagne. A bit confectionery in a way too as the evolution of the fruit has added that side to it. Full as Bollie always is, good evolution and with a dollop of honey notes too. Good 91 and drink sooner than later.
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5/28/2020 - Elvis1969 wrote: 89 Points
Fin gyllene färg, mycket champinjoner och bröd på näsan, känns tyvärr lite energilös i munnen och det fattas lite syra. En trevlig champagne men inte mer.
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5/23/2020 - Apollo5710 wrote: 93 Points
Initially the subdued nose reveals clear notes of green apple complicated by cherry, stone fruit, and nuts. It opened up more after 1-2 hours to add expressive smoky and chalky flavors of candied apple, caramel, and citrus fruit all delivered in a super suave and creamy package. The finish was the highlight, super long and expansive on the palate, leaving lingering smoky notes of cherry and grapefruit. As other tasters have noted, it seemed quite ready and mature. My wife gave it a 97.
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2/19/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful golden yellow color, very evolved. Nice fizz in the glass, got better with more oxidation. Nose of candied apples, stones, gun flint reminiscent of white Ermitage wines. Dense on the palate, very lively yet a bit stern, ends on a note of brioche and long in the mouth. Lovely
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1/30/2020 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
2004 champagne horizontal (110 Taillevent London): Round and diplomatic. Good.
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1/22/2020 - dhammer53 wrote:
Drank this in Manhattan with Erez and Jay. Lots of bubbles. Taste of apple. My quote > Oh boy!
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1/5/2020 - hajoha wrote: 93 Points
Bollinger La Grande Annee 2004.
Flott nese - ungdommelig med en begynnende modning i frukten.
Røde saftige epler, aprikos, gjærbakst, krydder og havbris.
Nydelig mousse.
Flott konsentrert frukt og herlig friskhet.
Smooth uten noe kanter.
Balansert vin.
Fin struktur som holder ryggraden på plass.
På et fint sted, men denne flasken hadde tålt mange år.
Meget lang stram finish som prikker godt i munnhulen.
Super flaske. 93p
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1/4/2020 - swade wrote: 89 Points
Very oxidative. Strong apple and nut skin flavor. Not well received at the tasting. I preferred the ‘02. 89
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12/31/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 91 Points
In magnum format. Apple, citrus and nuts. Wonderfully fresh on the palate with precision and layers. In particular, the nutty palate was charming. 91-92
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10/17/2019 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points
Good, but soft and mature based off this bottle with flavors leaning towards golden apple and biscuit.
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9/2/2019 - SLIMES Likes this wine:
I always find the 2004 grande annee a little on the monolithic side but I don't think that it's any the worse for it. While it might not have the complexity of the 2002 of the fruit-forwardness of the 2005, it really majors on the shear power of its praline and hazelnut notes. It's probably the most expressive of the three vintages that I have mentioned. I'm not sure that this will improve but I don't think there's any major rush to drink these.
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8/3/2019 - Pknut wrote:
I was expecting much more of a toasty and more assertive palate, but this was clear and clean with a nice dose of vanilla on the palate. Not especially complex nor evolved, very transparent and very enjoyable sitting poolside. Brought to the Wallicks in Bridgehampton.
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7/29/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 95 Points
The really evolved well. Give this an hour of air and it become a lovely champagne. Classic Bollinger oxidised notes makes you know immediately you are drinking a vintage wine that could pass for 25-30 years old. Big and heavy, but loads of complexity, especially honey and worked wonderfully well with aged gouda. I really enjoyed this, and preferred it to the 1990 and 1997 Grand Annee.
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6/29/2019 - Wine_lvr wrote: 94 Points
Wow, was a surprise how well it drinks right now. In this phase outperformed the Krug 2004 in the glass next to it.
Disgorged October 2012
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6/16/2019 - RED AND BLACK wrote: 95 Points
Not sure what more you can ask, wonderful champagne. This was superb quality for its price. Wish I could drink it every day
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5/31/2019 - casoe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite ordinary when just opened, but after an hour it really opened up. Golden color with fine bubbles, complex nose of citrus, grape, butter, toast, nutts and ... Really extraordinary mouth feel. Almost like drinking cream, and an extremely long aftertaste. High quality stuff.
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5/10/2019 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine and some of the better bubbles weve had in some time. Clear and precise citrus with enough stuffing to keep it very interesting....and more importantly.....delicious. drank over the course of an hour with the last 2 glasses being the best.....although bubbles were pretty much gone at that point which was surprising (PnP and drunk out of larger, wide-mouth champagne stems so I can still get my nozzle fully in the glass). With that being said, flavor profile suggests many years of great drinking.....but bubbles hint at drinking now. What's a wine-lover to do???
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4/25/2019 - RolfT Likes this wine: 93 Points
To begin with a bit rustic and oxidative in a clumsy way. At this point tastes a lot like so much other, cheaper champagne from lesser producers. But with air it finds focus and finesse and flavour grows in intensity as well. Well done. Great on day 2 as well.
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4/22/2019 - champagne99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dracks under en halvblind provning av Bollinger Grande Année 02, 03, 04, 07 och 08.
Den här var mörk i färgen med färre och långsammare bubblor i glaset. Doft av äpple och återigen något som påminde om det rökiga/brända jag kände i 03an men ändå behaglig. Andra kände nötter, kakao, fnas och torrt. En annan upplevde den som söt på näsan. Det var färre bubblor i glaset men desto mer i munnen med ett trevligt brus. Tydlig smak av äpple med en bra balans. Omdömen från de övriga var tropisk frukt, ananas, mogen persika, röda vinteräpplen, citrus, kakao, smör, fudge/kola, vanilj, nötter, utvecklad och koncentrerad.
Jag gissade på 02. En person hade den som favorit.
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3/26/2019 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured, excellent from start to finish. Overall great balance. Certainly in prime but no rush.
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3/24/2019 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
This was decent but had a slight oxidative note to it. Apricot pit slight nuttiness, good richness, great with gruyere and some nutty cheeses. But muted aromatics, and not as vibrant as previous versions. Chalk it up to storage or an off bottle.
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3/17/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Disgorged Nov 13. Please see my previous TN which holds this score is a slight uplift as with more sore this time the sweetness of core prinot fruit was utterly beguiling. This is a nice champagne and classic Bolly!
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3/14/2019 - camdawg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Early tastes were serious minerality, wrapped in a glove of oxidation. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The flavors were clean, and nothing seemed out of place. Not everyone will love a Champagne made in this style, though.
Peeking out from the oxidation were small flavors of honey and sweeter citrus. With more time open, bruised apple, toast and graham cracker flavors were introduced as the citrus flavors became more tart.
Tasty and enjoyable for those who like mineral driven Champagnes.
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3/11/2019 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
A little advanced and oxy. Some nutty, aldehyde notes and plenty of honey. Lacks precision and acidity is as flat as a biscuit.
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3/9/2019 - SonnyChiba wrote: 93 Points
Really nice champagne. Toasty, fresh, and balanced with a nice rich creaminess to it overall. Very enjoyable bottle. 93-94pts.
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2/17/2019 - soyhead wrote:
from Magnum
showing great - richness with a touch of quince and great acidity.
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2/15/2019 - derek.hara@sbcglobal.net Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much fresher than last bottle. Less ripe apple and more balance acid/minerality. Drinking very well.
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1/1/2019 - CondorKhan wrote: 94 Points
Warm bruised red apple, with a lemon squeezed on top, enveloped in buttery puff pastry. Rich, oxidative, finishing crisp and clean. Basically a liquid apple pie.
Irresistible.
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12/31/2018 - eoinhharkins wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful way to start the new year, toasty brioche, pear, apples, fine elegant but so energetic mousse, medium plus acidity nicely balanced the somewhat creamy texture and a long long finish
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12/26/2018 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 93 Points
I prefer champagne more fresh, but it‘s still great.
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12/18/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Also a nice start to the meal. This is bright and slightly toasty and a really nice pairing with soup I was having (squash soup with apples and bits of cheese). The acidity and bubbles in the wine cut the creaminess of the soup very well and made the flavor stand out a bit more.
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12/7/2018 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
Opened by Bill. First made in 1976, this is a blend of 14 Crus and mostly (88%) Grand Cru. 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay. 1st time I have had this vintage although i've had the 1990, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2002. This bottle was up there with the 1996 and 2002. Pale straw color. This is in a nice spot. Starting to show some honey and cream notes but still lively with a solid bead. No rush to drink. 93 points.
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12/4/2018 - AllRed wrote:
CWM gathering with VinT (Adelle's): First poour was very odd, as it smelled like a wedge of fresh gouda cheese. After a couple of hours I revisited this and it had improved a great deal, with notes of wet dough and orchard fruit. Give this time to sort itself out.
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11/19/2018 - jerhardt wrote:
Evolving nicely, though consistent with prior bottles, a bit rich and heavy. Fans of that style will appreciate it more than me. Good.
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11/2/2018 - wiscgrad wrote: 92 Points
First experience with Bollinger. Honey and bruised fruit on the nose, still bright with tons of acidity and Meyer lemon on the phone. Solid, but not sure it's worth the price tag
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10/31/2018 - sooper65 Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Lacks vibrancy and excitement
Poor for Grande Annee
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10/20/2018 - canan wrote: 93 Points
10Y Weekend (Day 2) (LTDV): Great wine. Needs more time.
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10/10/2018 - scyrene Likes this wine: 90 Points
One lonely bottle on a supermarket shelf. No box, label a bit scuffed, but below the market value for this vintage so worth rescuing! Mid gold. Powerful aroma of spiced cooked apple. The taste is similar, crisp and rich, very Bollinger. Not too complex at this point but there's nothing to complain about either. Delicious. Disgorged November 2013. [Cork + cage; 12% abv; Tesco, £70].
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10/6/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
PNP to start dinner with friends at La Cigale in Delray; beautiful, classic Bolly that is ready to drink
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8/5/2018 - Buddrow Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over lunch at Adams restaurant in Birmingham. My wife and I both loved it, drinking great but should improve.
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6/1/2018 - SLIMES Likes this wine:
Ready to drink now but it improved considerably on day two. I'm going to try and hold off on the rest of mine.
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5/26/2018 - vinhslee wrote: 94 Points
Very mineral-driven, followed by the signature mushroom flavours and the usual fruity flavours. a bit weak on yeasty or toasty flavours. Quite subtle, multi-layered and lots of hidden depths. Give it more air, or cellar it for some years.
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5/24/2018 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Disgorged November 13 - due to the recent RD 04 release I felt opportune time to crack into my first of a case. Golden colour giving away that it has some age to it and is Pinot dominated. The nose shows toast from the oak, coffee, caramel. On the palate it gains in stature with air (in fact after putting stopper in second day it showed fuller/better), fine mousse, brioche, some citrus, it is very long in the finish. Very good vintage champagne for sure, classic Bolly too, probably best 2020-2030 but drinking now. The 2002 is a tad better/lusher/sexier but it will be very interesting to compare these two side by side over the years. Probably an underrated vintage. 93 today with upside potential for 1-2 additional points.
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5/13/2018 - Bearbus Likes this wine:
Rich yet elegant, very honeyed, meadow, crème brulee, lovely balance, a tad short/lacking in the back on the finish. Very good
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4/1/2018 - sooper65 wrote: 91 Points
Yeasty, some citrus freshness .. even picked up brioche, but this still should be better than 91 points
Soz
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3/31/2018 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Heavy on the yeasty brioche notes with lemon and oxidative almond. Plush, light, persistent.
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1/16/2018 - rnellans wrote: 94 Points
Solid starter to the evening. Nice lemon and brioche notes. Fine bead. Very good acidity.
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12/31/2017 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 97 Points
A totally wonderful wine. This both speaks to my personal palate preference, but looking at it more objectively - it is a stunning effort by one of the star producers in Champagne. The first impression tonight is one of super power and close to brutal elegance. At first sniff rich profund minerals emerge accompanied by lovely oysters and lime zest. After a while in the glass, a secondary layer marches forward with dark toast, sweet chilli almonds, brioche and freshly roasted chestnuts. Just as all other vintages, this wine shows both power and eleganc. There is enough texture and structure to have this wine age well for many years to come.. As written many times before, the 2004 Grande Année is on an evolutionary path to greatness. Lovely!
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12/31/2017 - BSA Likes this wine: 92 Points
New Year's dinner, so only brief from memory. This was clearly not the best bottle I have had of this wine, but perhaps the freshest. Had three bottles last 3-4 months. One flawed, one really advanced (but lovely) and then this rather fresh bottle missing some of the mature notes that I was hoping for. Hmm... 92 now, with quite some upside.
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12/31/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
New Years Eve (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Light gold color. Drank 1+ glass over an hour. This is sneaky good - not that the fact that this is good would be surprising - more so it is how this just comes from a place of subtlety and finesse to build on the depth. There is an ultrafine bead with some subtle cream and a building toast, brioche, lemon, lemon peel, almond paste and a somewhat oxidative palate with chalk based crisp minerality. This still seems like it has room to improve.93+ to 94pts.
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12/22/2017 - mreinhard74@gmail.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Apricot nose. Dry and nutty on the palate. Lovely.
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12/17/2017 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
A deep golden hue indicates the depth in this wine.
Toasted brioche, candy apple, and a bit of almond.
Beautiful texture and easy to drink. Acidity is there but more in the background, fruit dominates and delivers a lengthy finish.
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12/8/2017 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 93 Points
Interesting nose that is more wine than champagne if you get what I mean. Tropical fruit nose amazingly. I can't quite place it but I want to say papaya and passion fruit. Creamy. This repeats on the palate. But very smooth and the the carbonation fades somewhat quickly. I like it but am intrigued and wonder if this is to be drunk soon or later.
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11/18/2017 - BSA wrote: flawed
A sting of wood on the nose. oxidated and a flat.
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11/13/2017 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
From magnum, drinking perfectly right now. Agree completely with tasting note from Blake Brown. This destroyed the Grand Anee Rose from the same year.
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11/6/2017 - Morbanius Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dracks hos Linn å Marcus
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10/29/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Was delicious and paired amazingly well with the ham. Drink or hold.
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10/14/2017 - eoinhharkins wrote: 94 Points
Loved this tonight just so harmonious and an absolute pleasure to consume baked apple, pear, some white minerals and spice palate has a smooth yet persistent mousse and finish
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10/1/2017 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gaining more complex maturity notes now. Citrus, apricot, prune, nuttiness, yeasty. Easy drinking and quite concentrated.
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9/16/2017 - TheNeuroticDobermann wrote: 89 Points
I must say that this bottle left me a little indifferent. Very promising nose of quince, brioche, incense, smoke, slate, and lemon curd. Quite rich, and a slight oxidative whiff, that I do very much enjoy. That being said, the palate is a disappointment: insubstantial (no, not 'elegant'), and short. There is an initial sweetness and density of the fruit and mineral that captivates, but the middle palate and finish, bluntly, fall flat and are decidedly uninspiring. The acidity is perhaps a little too modest to balance out the powerful aromatics, which remain the most attractive point of this wine. As someone who usually quite enjoys the Bollinger style, this is a disappointment, especially at this price point.
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8/23/2017 - jeffm_fla Likes this wine: 94 Points
Favorite at vintage Champagne tasting
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8/11/2017 - BSA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Phenomenal nose. The balance between the fruit and the developed notes is really special. Honeyed nose - kinda botrysis expression - resonating in the red and yellow apples. There is yeast and nuts on the front of the nose, white flowers and ripe lemons deeper in. The palate is not that flashy and impressive but really fine as well. Definitely at its best pnp straight from the cellar. Almost still wine in the glass 10 mins after pouring. Acidity is quite fresh however. Wish I knew where this is going. I have 4 bottles left so guess I have the means to find out. Great experience. 93-94p. Added: left 1/5 of bottle over night. Still good on day 2 but definitely better on first night.
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8/1/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 95 Points
2004 BOLLINGER LA GRANDE ANNEE BRUT- magnum; 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay; the perfect sized bottle for our large group to compliment the perfection of this wine; it had the requisite toast and mild nutty notes to accent the apple, pear, peach and citrus fruit; it was full bodied, complex and had a sustained refreshing finish; it was a real treat and although way younger, it was mindful of the 90` which is one of my favourite GAs of all time.
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7/30/2017 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
I really love this wine, especially at the price, but it got a little lost among the Salon, Comtes, and RD. Nice power, cleaner than the RD, and not as long (it's the same wine, except left on the lees for a bunch of years, and the RD was '02 tonight). At Okumura sushi.
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7/17/2017 - theguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Celebrate the birth of my first grandchild to Megan and Tucker.
Very fresh. Almost sweet to the taste from the brightness of the fruit. Nice mild yeast nose and taste. Not what I expected from a 13 year old bottle.
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6/19/2017 - jaggeral1 wrote: 91 Points
This bottle showed well and in condition. Colour not too advanced and a broad wise nose. Oxidative style as usual but not overdone and a nice freshness to it.
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6/15/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Light medium gold color. Drank several glasses over 3 hours. Brought this to Spoon & Stable to celebrate my youngest son's Bday. Worked nicely across a wide range of dishes. Lemon, dried apricot, apple blossom and abundant minerality on the nose. The palate is closer to full body than medium citrus, lemon, green apple skin, green apples, hints of lime, plenty of fine chalk mineral, pretty, yeast with minimal toast. Very good now. But I am of the mind this is still pretty tightly wound, and I am in the court of time will still be of benefit.
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5/21/2017 - burgburgburg wrote: 91 Points
Disgorge May-2013. Superb precision. Wonderful. Ready for drink.
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5/14/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is quite delicious. A core of black cherries, lemon, quinine, and minerals is enveloped with sweet yeasty goodness and hints of dark chocolate. Bright and mineral-rich on the long finish. I do not agree with my last review suggesting that this needed further aging to come into alignment (though wow, that was two years ago--time flies). I love the way it drinks now.
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4/28/2017 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Certainly my favourite but also a truly brilliant wine, The 2004 Grande Année is moving from greatness to greatness balancing power and elegance in a way this producer is so well-known for. The first impression isdeep minerals, fresh oysters and an impressive tone of lime zest. But then dark and slightly burnt toast, roasted almonds and sweet brioche emerge. The complexity is just thrilling! Power and elegance is present like a solid rock with equal immense eloquence. Texture and structure tell me this wine is in it for the longer haul, but it certainly drinks perfectly right now as well. Bravo!
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4/16/2017 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wines before, during and after dinner at La Trompette. (Chiswick): Disgorged Sep. 2012
We had this before dinner at the table in the restaurant. It felt a bit clumsy at first in the wake of the Heidsieck, but the nose showed a nice display of yeast and hazelnut. There are differing views on here as to whether or not this is ready to drink but I'll be holding the rest of mine for a while.
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4/13/2017 - mikelikewine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Loved this. Nose was fantastic and it was smooth on the palate. A special bottle for sure and definitely a cut above the standard Bollinger.
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4/7/2017 - ubercuvee wrote:
Ready to drink with lots of quite mature pinot notes. Having had some very heavy and tired GA 1996s recently, I' say this is to be drunk over the next 3-5 years (from 750ml). A dozen went pretty quickly at the party, always a good sign.
GA seems to age very quickly, good if you're impatient or have constrained cellar space (or time value of money) - less good if you enjoy your champagnes at age 20+
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3/4/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
A private tasting and dinner (at home): Lovely flavours, very characteristic for Bollinger, drinking well, elegant style, open and attractive, but without the sheer power and weight of a great Pinot Noir vintage like 2002. If you have any left, do not wait too long.
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2/12/2017 - soyhead wrote:
Sept 2014 disgorgement. Very much marzpian and hazelnut with a mature/aged feel.
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1/28/2017 - larryw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic, signiture Bollinger. Medium gold color; perfect efferversence; yeast, toast, pineapple and hints of lemon on the nose; toast brioche, almonds and peach on the palate with a full, long finish.
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1/8/2017 - curtr Likes this wine: 93 Points
A special treat. At the right point of evolution for me. Sadly my last bottle.
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1/7/2017 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Courtesy of tlv. Light golden color. Notes of apple, marshmallow and toasted almond with a subtle funky quality underneath. Medium bead with flavors of grilled apple, pear, citrus and vanilla cream.
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1/7/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Saturday Lunch with Friends and Wine (Happ Inn - Northfield IL): Lots of ripe and powerful apple throughout, with at least as much toast and yeast notes. Certainly good in its style, but this will become very bready/ yeasty in the next few years, which I doubt I will like.
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1/6/2017 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A totally brilliant wine, the 2004 Grande Annee as usual delivers an experience of luxurious elegance and profound power. The first impression is the very Bollinger typical tones deep minerals accompanied by fresh oysters and a beautiful tone of lime zest. After some time in the glass a secondary layer of dark lightly burnt toast, roasted almonds as well as roasted chestnuts and brioche. The 2004 is no exception to the rule of revealing power and elegance at the same time. This balance between power an elegance is the hallmark of this wine, hence I just keep repeating these words in every tasting note like a parrot. There is of course also plenty of texture and structure to have the wine developing further if cellared. Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good. The 2004 is on a trajectory towards greatness. Bravo! (score is 95+)
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1/4/2017 - burgburgburg wrote: 91 Points
Lovely zesty citrus, fine mousse and yeasty aroma. Vivid palate with fresh and lingering acidity. Still very young.
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12/25/2016 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A creamy, yeasty beauty. More evolved than the 2002 Grande Annee that we drank beside it. Slightly oxidized, giving it an attractive baked bread character. Also a very slight sherry note. Everyone kept coming back to the 2004, and it disappeared faster than the 2002 which was still just a baby. The 2002 may be the more long lived wine, but on this ocassion the 2004 was just right.
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12/10/2016 - soyhead wrote:
concentrated, nutty yet very clean, elegant and rich. great champagne
sept 2014 disgorgement
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10/28/2016 - sooper65 wrote: 88 Points
This should be some much better
Lacks verve. Hard work to finish the bottle
Dear o'dear
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10/27/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
The return of JonnyG: Marshmallow, some herb, lemon curd, spice and earth. Quite mild in terms of both fruit and acidity, it works reasonably well in terms of balance, but it doesn't really thrill, not yet anyway.
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10/27/2016 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 93 Points
A really impressive bottle to my taste, young and precise, with years and years ahead of it. Softer than many Bolly's, showing as much restraint as power. Classic notes of toasted brioche, apple and peach. Plenty of acidity, and my, what persistence. Some cinnamon and spice on the finish.
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10/24/2016 - Ivan Ma wrote: 90 Points
It still needs a lot of time, perhaps 3 to 4 years to show it's best. Both nose and palate are a bit closed with some green notes. Grand Annee 05 performs much better at this moment.
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10/5/2016 - jmoore431 wrote: 92 Points
I have historically not been a great fan of the house style here due to experiences with a heavy ginger and oxidized character. This bottle was big and powerful with complex aromas already of the usual brioche and yeast notes. Palate is, as expected, youthfully coarse and bold with some early oxidative hints of toffee. Stoppered up and kept extremely cold the remaining half bottle til 2nd day: airing out has tamed this beast considerably. Oxidative hints have subsided and this shows promise for greatness in 7 to 10 years.
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10/3/2016 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking profoundly well right now, and most likely for many years to come, the first impression is the Bollinger typical tones of super power and total elegance. At first rich and deep minerals emerge accompanied by fresh oysters and a beautiful tone of lime zest. After about 20 minutes an intriguing second layer of complexity emerges with dark slightly burnt toast, salted almonds, sweet brioche and quite powerful roasted chestnuts. This wine shows both power and elegance in every vintage. The 2004 is no exception to this rule. A lovely powerful elegance is certainly present and will continue to develop if allowed to. But do not be mistaken, there are still plenty of texture and structure to yield great results if cellared properly. As written many times before, Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good but this 2004 is on an evolutionary path to greatness. Bravo! (score is 95+)
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9/29/2016 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Consistency, consistency, consistency! Micro bubble stream down center of glass Almost clear color with hint of yellow amber. Brioche, lemon, apricot, typical classic aged champagne taste, creamy mouth feel with GREAT acidity and minerality on the mid palate with a spicy somewhat astringent lingering finish. Simply OUTSTANDING.
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9/22/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
This needs more time, all the quality materials are here. That said, it's still quite good right now, even on PnP. If you crave big, in your face wood/toast/super ripe and uber rich fruits, this is not your wine. This is the wine that you slip into your rotation of $50- $75 Champers - it'll take you up another full level of sophistication and purity. I would let this understated wine rest another 3-5 years. Satiny fruits that run the white, not yellow spectrum. Long finish, insulated complexity. HOLD. recommended
PnP, served non-blind, at Les Nomades, Chicago (bases loaded home run).
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9/19/2016 - bajayngo wrote:
Slightly oxidized with elderberry and citrus clean and light on the palate with a bit of vegitalness some wool and a citrus finish.
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9/18/2016 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
At 50th.
Paleish yellow, faint yellow rim, good mousse.
A little dough and apples up front, flinty, quince and hint of citrus, background notes of green tea.
Good month feel, rich but very controlled, apples and citrus, good acidity, very good length of creamy green fruit.
Excellent champagne, drinks well now, but will be better in 5 years I suspect.
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9/12/2016 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Appealing bouquet of citrus, apple, brioche, chalk, and oxidative notes. Layered and smooth on the palate. The back, and especially the finish, showed an intense, bitters element, reminiscent of galvanized metal. A rounded and complete wine...other than the astringent finish.
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9/4/2016 - Polindz Likes this wine: 92 Points
A Classic citrusy and tight champagne. Smooth finish!
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8/28/2016 - fokker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dinner at home. Sons about to leave for UK to study. So splurge on Oscietra cavier on raw salmon, with chives and olive oil and a touch of lemon.
Champagne is the natural companion to such dish and this Bollinger did not disappont. Decanted and poured, with the nose full of fresh brioche, and palate of mirabelles (one cannot dislike a wine when it tastes mirabellish) and Williams pear, it had a smooth and long finish.
The boys and I felt like Mr. Bond.
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8/23/2016 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Monopole Wine: Probably my WOTN. Not rich and toasty, but still powerful and intense, without being heavy. I like this style. Lightly toasted fresh bread, biscuit, caramelized orchard fruits, super long in the mouth. Still very young and fresh. Needs another 5.
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8/18/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Great way to start a wine dinner. This was more creamy, white fruits, a hint of light peach maybe. No toast or similar. Very food friendly - went well with the prosciutto wrapped figs.
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8/11/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Magnum. Lots of apple and lots of bread in a fairly mature style. I don't quite see this evolving into the same exciting/ evolved place as other fine vintages (like the 1996 tasted earlier tonight). But i understand how others will appreciate this more.
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8/3/2016 - sooper65 wrote: 90 Points
Good, but showing excessive ageing
V biscuity, beyond where all the other great 2004s are.
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7/25/2016 - jerhardt wrote:
Rich in the GA style, but in a great drinking place right now. Expect this to age well, but hard to not keep opening bottles in the short term.
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7/17/2016 - Sunny10 wrote: 92 Points
need some air before it open up, let it breathe for 2 hours before consuming.
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7/10/2016 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Previous notes apply but this champagne gets better every time we open a new bottle. Full and elegant mouth feel with toasted brioche, lemon and more. Fantastic wine.
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7/9/2016 - mrmikemtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Most excellent. Brioche, lots of tiny bubbles. Smooth. Medium finish of brioche.
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7/1/2016 - burgburgburg wrote: 92 Points
Great finesses and balance. Ample fruits, mineral and lovely acidity. Structure is at grand cru level. A superstar at this price point.
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6/30/2016 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Previous notes apply. Again consistency in these 04's is impeccable. Everything you want from Champagne is in these bottles.
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6/19/2016 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic power, yeasty, biscuity, but clean and persistent, long, this has got it all. Previous versions were a bit less interesting. I think we bought an off lot previously. Wonderful. Shouldn't have started with this one. B&J's
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6/16/2016 - Rani Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tastes blind. Slightly oxidized style, clearly not Blanc de Blanc. I guessed 2002 since it showed some ripeness. Krug was my first guess, Bollinger second. Very nice and ready.
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6/12/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Friends (French wines). Yquem, Cos, B2K 2nds and a few more. (University Circle): Always delicious. Great way to start an evening. Light golden in color. Lots of small bubbles. The nose is slightly nutty but also some fresh pears. On the palate, this seems to be at peak. Lots of pears and depth, but also just a bit of nuttiness that is delicious. Layers of complexity. Very good acidity. Going back later in the evening, it had really opened up.
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5/21/2016 - burgburgburg wrote: 93 Points
A gorgeous young GA. Fruity, fizzy, vivid acidity, long aftertaste... Delicious and refined now but will get better without doubt.
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5/21/2016 - esh44 wrote:
Rich and big, but open for business. Delicious...
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5/11/2016 - Kriz wrote: 91 Points
Nose with yeast. Big palate, great balance and a long finish. Big Champagne, not superb.
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4/8/2016 - canan wrote: 94 Points
Tuscany BYO (Valby): Lovely and rich nose filled with plenty of sweet apple fruit, smoke and hazelnuts.
The palate is equally impressive with lot of red and yellow sweet apple flavor with a touch of hazelnut and vanilla.
Plenty of oak and sweetness but very true to the house style. A great wine.
Consistent with previous note!
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3/30/2016 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale green/gold appearance.
Lovely nose of pastry, honey , lemon , tangerine and melon.
Lots of autolytic flavor, lemon, honey and pastry on the palate. A nice long finish. A great bottle!
This example was disgorged in November 2013 and I guess would last another decade if well stored.
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3/6/2016 - burgburgburg wrote: 91 Points
Just sip two small glasses and not in indeed temperature. Fresh, balanced and zesty with long finishing. Goo value. Keep cellaring.
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2/27/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smells awesome, tastes awesome.
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2/5/2016 - soyhead wrote:
nutty, licorice, concentrated, sapply, and with a long finish. super wine.
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1/27/2016 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
Bright yellow color, at first on the nose very primary- all citrus, on the palate full bodied and quite ripe leading into a firm and long finish, after about an hour it blossomed beautifully and was in full cry, primary mousse on the nose, assertive notes of blood orange, hints of pear and marzipan, on the palate far more open and very ripe with a substantial- yet elegant- mousse, decadent blood orange, brioche notes, racy and refined finish of exceptional length. A marvelous champagne, I think it will reach a really good point in another 5 years at which point I believe it will have developed a creamier mousse but still retain much of its youthful vibrance. **(**), 2020-2030+
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1/15/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote:
Dîner d'anniversaire pour une Princesse (au Quartier Général): Superbe bouteille! C'est très sec, élégant, grande longueur. Excellent! 92-93 pts
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1/4/2016 - dron_ap wrote: 92 Points
Powerfull, elegant and moneral. Great style but still a bit too sweet
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12/28/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 89 Points
I have had this wine many times an usually a real thrill. This bottle was good and showed Bolly biscuit and depth, yet not quite singing.
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12/27/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Holiday Champagne Dinner (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Lots of toast and bread with apple and pear. Moderate weight. Less interesting now than I recall from before.
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12/26/2015 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
On flight (Eva business class). Tasted several times and likely the best Champagne I have had on a flight. Great balance. Touch of yeast and nuttiness, citrus, peaches, and sweetish white fruit. Long finish. Excellent.
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12/26/2015 - mg61348 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nearly perfect...already great to enjoy. Drank one bottle over Christmas Day dinner....Looking forward for the next ones....
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12/22/2015 - aschie30 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well now. I tasted this champagne twice this year (once in September and once this week), and one time served by Bollinger at an industry event. Both times I thought it was peaking. If you have some, I'd say that now's the time; even 8 months from now I think a decline will be evident.
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12/16/2015 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Love the style of this wine. Bold but balanced and still holding a bit back. Should improve for many years. (92+)
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12/13/2015 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
This packs a punch with rich woody notes, underbrush, good powerful intensity in the mouth, long finish but honestly kind of brutish and lacks elegance. Not that Bollinger is know for elegance, but this is sort of a block of wood. I think with time this will improve. Give it 5 years. 66%PN, fermented in oak, aged 6 yrs under cork, 8 g/l.
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12/5/2015 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
A Mix of Champagne; 12/5/2015-12/6/2015 (Ray and Teresa's): Had a small glass at a tasting. As my friend said, this is a metrosexual wine. It is a little masculine but well-balanced with some feminine characteristics. This bottle was not as good as the 2 times I've had it before. Everything was muted. Spending more time with it may have helped it open up, but that wasn't possible tonight.
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11/27/2015 - Le Monty wrote:
Lots of red orchard fruit. Not as oxidative as Bolly can be.
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11/19/2015 - MWiking Likes this wine: 94 Points
den här champagnen börjar på att komma i fas nu. kan nog bli ändå bättre med mer tid.
näsan är grym och smaken är riktigt härligt fyllig och dominreas av kola, äpplen, toner av gummi.
egentligen bara jälvigt god, svårt att sätta ord på den.
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11/17/2015 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 92 Points
(Disgorged Jun '14) I had this at Hawksmoor after the Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millenaires 1995 and it wasn't a flattering comparison. I think this is worthy of 92 points but the nutty richness came across like old socks after the refinement of the BdM.
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11/14/2015 - dlcass Likes this wine: 98 Points
Beautiful wine. Expansive nose with stone fruit, minerality, wet stone, baker's yeast; great balance with acidity, minerality and yeastiness in good proportions. Enjoyed at Nobu-Dallas.
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11/7/2015 - Javachip wrote: 92 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 11/7/2015 (Grande Colonial Hotel (Nine Ten Restaurant), La Jolla, California): From magnum. Vigorous fine bead with beautiful profile of lemons, apples, yeast, limestone. Similar on the palate, pure and precise, seems primary. Would love to revisit in a few years.
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11/7/2015 - pipegarcia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale yellow body, very fine bubbles, lean, precise, toast bread, nutty.
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11/6/2015 - bigdogflow Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted at Papa's Champagne tasting. Small bubbles. Crisp. Lemon peel. Medium finish.
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11/2/2015 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a lot more fun to drink than the Sep '12 disgorgement of a few nights ago. This had a lovely creamy texture with all the white chocolate and nutty notes that just scream "Bollinger Grande Annee". This is more classic than the 2002 and the above flavours didn't really emerge in my Sep 2012 disgorgement until the wine had been open for quite some time.
2012 disgorgements: leave for now.
2014: Just dive in and enjoy. It's not so much the complexity that appeals but the sheer richness of the wine that make sit stand apart from so much other fizz.
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10/16/2015 - TuanHH Likes this wine: 92 Points
Golden crystal robe enlightened by tiny bubbles. The nose is very fresh, mineral and fruity. The palate adds to the nose the complexity of brioche, buttered and honeyed green apple slowly pan-fried, pastries and fresh almonds. Such great structure can last much longer in the cellar.
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10/5/2015 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Oct '15 edition (Ben's): Liked this a lot, but it was outclassed by the Taittinger CDC. It's a bigger, rounder wine than the Comtes - the doughy and yeasty flavours are more prominent here, though there's again a faint herbal/green apple skin aspect to the nose. The fruit again comes across with a remarkable sense of freshness on the palate, and there's a vein of stony mineral flavours beneath. Really nice.
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10/3/2015 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Coming around nicely, but still on the youngish side showing some rather intense structure and texture. Tons of rich minerals, the typical oyster like freshness and lots of citrus zest. After a while golden semi-dark toast appears together with sweet brioche and roasted chestnuts. As written many times before for this and other vintages: the wine certainly shows both power and elegance. There is plenty of texture and structure to allow for further ageing. Yet another solid "Bravo!"
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10/3/2015 - jens.thogersen wrote: 93 Points
This has aged with dignity, lovely champagne for sipping in the sun.
Nose and palate almost identical. Passionfruit, nutty/biscuity note, a hint of butter.
All and all. Lovely champagne. Even better company to share this with
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9/24/2015 - Al Doughty wrote: 92 Points
Mellow flavors of hay, dried apple and hazelnut, finishing with an excellent baked, crushed rock minerality.
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9/23/2015 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 91 Points
I had this with Neil and Jordan after seeing Spectre at the cinema. Bolly seemed an appropriate choice. After the Bolly NV, this showed a great deal more complexity and it was very hard to go back. The last few sips were the best and I should note that this bottle was disgorged in Sep 2012 (one of the earliest releases). It seemed a lot younger than the bottle I had more recently (Jun '14 disgorgement) and this batch will benefit from another year or two of cellaring.
I really think that it's important to note the disgorgement dates of these wines. The bottles of BGA '04 that I have vary by nearly two years and the effect of those two years shouldn't be underestimated. I should however mention that my Jun '14 bottles have spent a lot of that time on a shop shelf. (see my other note).
Overall, very good but I'd get some air to it or leave these for a few years.
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9/6/2015 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Yeasty, biscuity nose, slight saline, canned tuna aspect with pronounced minerality, low fruit; fine bubbles but not creamy, good intensity, a bit austere, but packs a punch; not too user friendly at the moment--I would give this another 3 years minimum before retrying. Focused, precise, very young, some tart underripe pear, and orchard fruit but very subtle. 91, with potential for 92 or 93 in future.
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9/6/2015 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very crisp acidity, good mousse. Very good fruit. Long finish.
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8/15/2015 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with my prior notes. Drink up if you got'em. In a great place right now.
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8/11/2015 - onboisduvin wrote: 94 Points
Intense aroma and taste showing mature form of champagne. It's time to enjoy this vintage!!
20190120 The large portion of pinot noir brings floral and fruit aroma. No sign of down the slope at all. 94
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8/6/2015 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 96 Points
I have 2 disgorgement dates for these Champagnes floating around my cellar. I have drank the May '13, and the Nov'13 bottles about a month apart. Both are ready to drink. There is something distinct between the 2 disgorgement dates and I have to say the Nov '13 bottle is many notches above the May '13 bottles. The Nov '13 bottle - the nose reminds me of a '90 Dom Oenotheque I had back in June for my 5 yr Wedding Anniversary.
This tasting note is for the May '13 disgorgement bottle. It will be quite brief - think top notch Chevalier Montrachet from a top producer. Incredible champagne. wow!
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8/2/2015 - jjjj7676 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is showing beautifully at the moment. It has a great depth and complexity to it. It is smooth, textured and with a beautifully long finish and a fabulous mousse that bursts out of the bottle when poured. Gorgeous! We all loved it!
However, I sense that the 2004 would benefit from more time in the cellar to help it reach its full exciting potential. It will be fun to see how this develops.
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8/2/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
A bunch of wines at dinner with Friends (Taste): Whoa. This is good. From a WTSO shipment a couple of months back. Medium gold in color. The nose is nice with pears, smoke and hazelnuts. On the palate, this is seriously good. Flavors of smoked nuts and pears. Complex. Fresh and vibrant. Perhaps a bit more mature than I might have expected but drinking beautifully now. Nothing oxidized or anything like that. Great acidity. Long finish.
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7/23/2015 - mikerando Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful wine, a joy to drink
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7/18/2015 - peterk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Served this beside the 2005 at an island day-time summer party. Gorgeous Champagne - dry, minerally, bright and totally smooth. To my taste a tiny edge over the 2005, but this may just be the consequence of an additional bottle year...
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7/11/2015 - rmalloy Likes this wine:
It's hard for me to review champagne because I've never had a champagne I don't like. They all taste great and they're typically pretty complex.
I recently had the 2004 Dom Perignon so I can use that as a reference. The Dom Perignon was heavier, richer, and more powerful.
This Bollinger is softer, brighter, and more elegant. It offers flavors of brioche, apple, lemon, and honey. I think it is more enjoyable now than the Dom Perignon. But my instinct is that the Dom Perignon is a much better wine.
That said, I feel like the Bollinger too would benefit from several years of aging, as the flavor profile has jagged edges. In particular, the toasty brioche seems out of whack.
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7/11/2015 - BurgAndy wrote:
This is the 9/14 disgorgement. Toast and brioche on the nose. Toasty yellow fruit and Pinot flavors on the palate, finishing a bit vegetal, some caraway, some bitterness? Off bottle? Very different from the 3/14 disgorgement recently tasted, which was zippy, fruit-driven, and just plain fun in a glass.
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7/8/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner with Ed Zimmerman, Chris Thile, and Other Cool Folks (White Street Restaurant, NYC): From magnum. Crisp, complex, young, delicious. Long life ahead.
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7/7/2015 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic vintage Champagne from a fantastic vintage. Made in the typical Bollinger style (e.g. rich) but not overdone at all. This was enjoyed by all.
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7/5/2015 - Wine_lvr wrote: 92 Points
4th of July BBQ with Friends and good wine; 7/4/2015-7/5/2015 (Zurich, Switzerland): Light gold in color. Subtle nose of ripe apples and baked brioche. Fine bubbles, nice balance but a bit short in the finish. Easy drinking Champagne but in the current phase there are better alternatives for less money. Bottle Deg Oct 2012.
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6/28/2015 - Vlens Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deg. July 2012
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6/25/2015 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 91 Points
I'm a big fan of this wine and have followed it in several vintages. Unfortunately my drinking all of my 97s and 99s quite some time ago and my dislike of the 2000 vintage have lead to me being stuck with painfully young bottles of '02 and '04.
However I snapped a few days ago and grabbed a bottle of the 2004 off the shelf at Majestic to see how this was getting on and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't take notes at the time, but from the first whiff, you could tell that this was something special. (Nuts and smoke etc.) Over the next couple of days, this didn't really improve so I suspect that I might be drinking my bottles before I open my 2002s. Still I'm going to hold this a little longer and see how it turns out.
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6/22/2015 - drjb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yellow gold colour with fine bead. Lovely nose of pear, apple, stone fruit, almond and fresh bread. Fine intense palate emphasising the fruit character rather than the yeast of past Bollinger styles. Great length and drive that sat well as both aperitif and first seafood course accompaniment. Delicious.
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6/5/2015 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with my prior note. Has evolved rather some since the last time, more mature nougat notes than the previous time. Delicious!
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6/4/2015 - CelebrateLife! wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful brioche on the nose with bright notes of pear and citrus, complex on palate with long finish. A very nice bottle
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6/1/2015 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Bollinger: entirely fermented in barrel. 100% GC and 1er Cru. Only using the cuvee (first press), not the taille.
Disgorged Sept 2014, 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. 8g/l dosage.
now this has more of the oxidative elements to the nose. toasted walnut. red apple skin. palate has a softness and a roundness. not too oxidative, but also maybe a bit more maturity to the palate, some sandalwood.
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5/30/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Green apple and lemon aromas and flavors with enticing mineral driven textures and a great mouth feel. I like the current balance of fresh fruit and yeasty, bready notes.
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5/30/2015 - mhauser Likes this wine:
Pale gold, clear. Light nose, with a bit of burnt caramel. Light tannin, bright acidity. Very heavy mousse, a decent sweetness (but still sec), with some funk on the palate. Short finish. Delicious, but a tad pricey.
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5/30/2015 - prof b wrote:
.
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5/26/2015 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This is delicious. Consistent with 2 previous bottles. Great now, and can be enjoyed for a few years as well.
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5/17/2015 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
This vintage across the board seems to be consistent among the best producers and even the grower champagnes. This Bolli Grande Anee is no different. We had the Dom 04 last week for my wife's birthday and had the Bolli 04 last night again for her birthday. Fantastic nose, balance, mouth feel. Great citrus notes with brioche and lemon curd. Outstanding.
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5/15/2015 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This is delicious. Consistent with previous note.
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5/9/2015 - BurgAndy wrote:
wow, this is great juice. there's this coy chocolate and berry thing on the nose, followed by soft, sensual raspberry, subtle toast, and some orchard fruit on the palate. this just coats the tongue and palate and lingers and lingers and lingers. the bead on this is ridiculously fine. while not as complex as the '02, this is a sexy and deceptively glutinous sparkler. drinking well now, i plan on buying more. This bottle was disgorged March of 2014.
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5/4/2015 - BigJ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nicceee! Big, rich, zesty champagne with bold personality. Rewarding now, but built to last
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4/8/2015 - Lilja Likes this wine:
A bit of maturity on the nose with high quality oak, still some raw wood, tropical fruit, star fruit, lots of apples, yeast and a bit of flint and tinder.
Immaculate balance on the palate with a medium+ acidity, no real tartness, round and a medium+ body. High intensity and a long finish.
This is really, really good!
Would wait a few more years to open this though, I thought the dosage showed a bit much at times and will need time to integrate. Tasted together with the 2002 Grand Anne.
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4/6/2015 - hfc wrote:
mildly chalky and yeasty, lime, green apple
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4/5/2015 - weiny Likes this wine: 98 Points
Close 2 perfection
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4/2/2015 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 94 Points
Kan bara instämma med tidigare noteringar.
En bra champagne med helt underbar doft med päron, röda äpplen, hasselnötter och massor av steniga mineraltoner. Efter någon timme utvecklades också dofter av bakade äpplen.
Otroligt bra balans, fin fräsch syra och lite oxiderade toner. Väldigt bra längd.
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4/2/2015 - thewiz Likes this wine: 91 Points
(Disgorged September 2014)
Nice yellow colour with very nice small bubbles. On the nose there's nice mature red apples and brown sugar. Nice and refined with a creamy lemon and apple palate. Typical Aÿ Pinot noir filled taste and with a long calvados like finish with a hint of liquorice root. Very nice 'mature' taste despite it's age.
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3/13/2015 - karl.1480 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Developing nose with a medium+ intensity. Initially lots of toasted oak, vanilla, coffee beans and cap gun smoke. It also shows some deeper layers of baked apples, fresh red apples, stone fruit, baked lemon, butterscotch and browned butter.
Dry on the palate with a medium+ acidity and body. The mousse is lively and a little bit aggressive. The flavor intensity is medium+. Loads of super ripe lemons, apple core, bruised red apples, toasted oak, coffee beans and butterscotch. The finish is medium++ with gap gun smoke, chalk dust and baked lemons.
I'm a fan of the style of Bollinger and this is a hell of a tasty champagne, but it needs more time to shows it's full potential.
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3/1/2015 - Jeppe TP wrote:
Amazing. Reminiscent of great white burgundy with bubles.
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2/24/2015 - mukden wrote: 90 Points
YES. Good vintage champagne; still spritely with that aged mustiness. Sort of acquired taste but I like it.
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2/14/2015 - henrygjeffreys wrote:
some marmite on the nose - not opulent
very fizzy, bubbles seem a litle big
lots of acidity
Flavours seem a bit muted
Too young?
SLightly corked?
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1/12/2015 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points
A blend of Pinot Noir (2/3) and Chardonnay (1/3), sourced from Grand Cru (88%) and Premier Cru (12%) vineyards. The wine is first fermented and aged in old oak before being bottled. The wine is aged for 7 years before release, of which the wine ages in bottles with the lees for at least 5 years before disgorgement. Disgorged in September 2013, after more than 8 years of aging. 12% alcohol, 6,1 g/l acidity, dosage 9 g/l.
Deep and somewhat developed golden-hued yellow color with subtle green highlights. The nose feels rich, developed and dark-toned with powerful, brooding aromas of toasty autolysis and roasted nuts along with spicy Pinosity, some toffee, a little bit of mocha, a hint of bruised apple, a touch of vanilla custard pastry and a whiff of rhubarb. The wine is rich - borderline massive - and very intense on the palate with noticeable heft and sense of weight. There are intense flavors of toffee, earthy and spicy Pinosity, chalky minerality, tart green apples, some ripe red-toned fruits, a little bit of autolytic toasted bread, a hint of chopped nuts and a touch of caramel. Despite its monolithic size, the wine is still remarkably balanced with its racy acidity. The mousse feels fine, smooth and creamy. The finish is very long, complex and quite robust with intense flavors of steely minerality, cream fudge, tart lemony fruit, some toffee and nuts, a little bit of dark chocolate, a hint of lemon marmalade and an oxidative touch of bruised apple.
A bruiser of a Champagne if there ever was one. But despite its massive size, this wine still manages to show unparalleled finesse and grace, thanks to its bright acid backbone and incisive streak of minerality: it never becomes too tiresome, dull or overweight. The oxidative aging here lends a remarkable boost to the rich, toasty flavors of the wine and adds a whole new level of vinous quality to the fruit. Probably too big of a wine for the fans of lighter and more delicate style, but not for me. Despite its oxidative character the wine is still going strong and feels remarkably youthful at 10 years of age - will keep for years more. Stunning stuff, priced according to its quality at 107,90€.
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1/2/2015 - austintx1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very surprised by this bottle! I do not drink a lot of champagne, especially at this price point. This wine has so much going on. It's soft on the palate with a variety of flavors. The sweetness is toned down, which is what made this a wine I will buy over and again.
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1/1/2015 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 93 Points
New years eve at home: Great wine, had energy and body and some maturity - great with our lobster in vanilla infused cream sauce. A lot of the white non sparklers poured this evening paled in comparison.
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12/31/2014 - Christoffer78 wrote: 94 Points
Perhaps still a bit young, but with time there is no doubt the Bollinger typical tones are there and that they will be developing with further ageing. At first the taster is exposed to abundant minerals, an oyster like freshness and a lovely tone of lime zest. There is a second layer emerging with some time in the glass. Dark toast, almonds, sweet brioche and a subtle whiff of the Bollinger typical roasted chestnuts. This wine certainly shows both power and elegance. A lovely powerful elegance will most likely reveal itself given some further time in the cellar. There is plenty of texture and structure to allow for a graceful development in the cellar. Even if this wine will show even more class with some time in the cellar, it provides prime drinking tonight too. As written many times before, Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good. This 2004 is no exception to the rule. Bravo!
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12/31/2014 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 94 Points
En bra champagne med helt underbar doft med päron, röda äpplen, hasselnötter och massor av steniga mineraltoner. Efter någon timme utvecklades också dofter av bakade äpplen.
Otroligt bra balans, fin fräsch syra och lite oxiderade toner. Väldigt bra längd.
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12/28/2014 - BilboBaggins Likes this wine: 92 Points
Christmas Champagne Tastings 2014: Tasted alongside the 04 Grande Année Rosé. This was classical Bollinger with plenty of muscle and pinot-notes. Was still very young but very enjoyable. though objectively of the same quality as the rosé, then the rosé was just slightly more charming today. Bollinger reconfirmed it's place as one of my favorite champagne Grande Margues (with Pol Roger), and I still think that the Grande Année is of the same quality as most prestige cuvees.
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12/26/2014 - TheFrog Likes this wine: 90 Points
A trip in a sunny vineyard.
The nose is very subtle, tender and remind of grapes under the sun.
Bubbles are caressing and lovely.
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12/20/2014 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still on the 'youngish' side, but certainly developing the Bolly typical tones of maturity. In just a few years the stiff, closed impression will most likely totally have disappeared. The first sniff reveals classy minerals, oysters and a lovely citrus tone. There is asecond layer emerging with some air: dark toast, brioche and roasted chestnuts. Taken together, this effort has both power and elegance. With some age these elements will most likely integrate and provide the classy powerful elegance which I totally adore. There is plenty of texture and structure to allow for a graceful development in the cellar. This vintage may still need some time but please do not be mistaken, it certainly provides prime drinking tonight too - even more so if given a soft decant. Bollinger's vintage Champagnes are always good. This 2004 is no exception to the rule. Bravo!
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12/19/2014 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 93 Points
Très beau nez sur le rancio (léger), les noix et la brioche. En bouche, les bulles sont fines, délicates et je note un peu de noix de pin. La finale est longue et légèrement oxydée. Superbe!
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12/18/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Bollinger Tasting (Sunfish Cellars, St. Paul, MN): Light-medium gold color. 3oz pour. 66%PN, 34%C. Great nose, fine bead, wonderfully toasted - much more so than the '02 RD - with lemon, pear, liqueured fruit, mineral, bold. The palate also has excellent depth, great toast, yeast, liqueured fruit, a subtle nuttiness, very good minerality. I love the energy and the length overall. Sleek and gorgeous, this will benefit from a few more years in the cellar.
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11/15/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
Nuts and nougat and by now well integrated. A rather complex champagne, and not for the beginner, I do not think.
My fifth time drinking this vintage and I always found it very good, however this is not quite top notch.
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11/1/2014 - Argrath wrote: 93 Points
Full, Deep, toasty nose. Ripe apple, bread, almost perfume-like. Hints of flowers.
Quite develped palate. Fullish with pure acid grip. Marzipan, ripe apple and hints of flowers. Very tasty and inviting.
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10/30/2014 - djarcara Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full bodied. Rich butterscotch, apple, pear flavors. Dry finish. Drinking nicely now, but has many more years ahead.
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10/30/2014 - coremill wrote: 91 Points
Champagne Dinner (L'Apicio): A huge, broad, powerful champagne, more pinoty than the others with some red berry flavors to go along with the more famiilar apple/pear notes, and quite a bit of spice. The richness and density works nicely with the big 04 acid, and this was the only champagne in the lineup where I noticed significant dry extract. Excellent, even if I slightly preferred the 04 DP in style, and needs time.
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10/29/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:
Champagne dinner (L'Apicio, NYC.): Drokk! Look ... this is a big Champagne. The austerity and acidity of the 04's have combined with the Bolly house style to create a monster. Nose of eau-de-vie, huge lemon, pear, nutty, spicy. Wait, this smells like Madeira. WTF? Huge. Spicy, brown, broad, lemon, spice-ginger, big. Lemon spice finish. This is good, but I prefer the 2002 overall. I'm not sure how to rate this. How do you rate the Hulk?
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10/19/2014 - hajoha wrote: 91 Points
Innsmigrende nese av gulfrukt, røde epler.
Silkemyk i munnen med medium konsentrasjon. Elegant.
Fin friskhet og meget godt balansert.
Følger opp med epler på smak også.
Lang finish med lette mineraler.
Ungdommelig. 91-92p
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10/17/2014 - TashNYC wrote: 94 Points
Bede Birthday Party: At Bede 80th birthday party: the champagne of the night.
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10/12/2014 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private lunch (Restaurant Le Parc **, Hotel Les Crayeres, Reims, France): Mature style, candied fruit, very Bollinger, rich but not really powerful or structured; on the other hand open, very attractive and ready for business.
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10/11/2014 - Livermore wrote: 92 Points
Got some power this. Taste of cacao, oak, licorice. Long finnish. Has it all and with age will come together beautifully.
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10/1/2014 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with tiny, steady beading. Nose of dough, lychee, a tiny splash of sherry and mixed yellow fruits. Flavors of lemon, cherry and mixed yellow fruits. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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9/17/2014 - yofog wrote:
Rich, smoky, spicy, this is really composed, broad but with authority and tension. Really excellent and/but with a hefty dose of that oxidation...I don't have enough experience with these to know whether that's going to protect it in a long life or kill it early. I guess we'll see.
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9/12/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 94 Points
Second time tasted with consistent notes. Such a gorgeous, rich, but still so young Grand Annee. Nose opens up nicely after 30 minutes to reveal fresh ginger, candied lemon peel, caramel apple, salted toffee, butterscotch, saline, lime zest and apple strudel. Palate still has screaming acid with very well measured dosage (feels like 8 g/l). Drinking well today, but optimal drinking is still a few years down the line. Definitely has the potential to be classic. 94 points today. 95 - 96 is in it's future.
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9/9/2014 - Vlens Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite explosive mousse. Weightless and fresh. Some characteristic oxidized notes with a wonderful nuttiness. Classic Grande Annee. Deg. july 2012.
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9/7/2014 - Wine_lvr wrote: 94 Points
Deg. May 2013: This bottle was quite youthful and does not have the oxidative notes the Oct. 2012 degorged bottles have. Golden in color. Nose of white flowers, yeast, and toasted bread. Very nice balance and complex flavors. For a Brut, the dosage does not seem too high. All in all a great Champagne at a very early drinking phase. Overall a good PVR.
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9/6/2014 - thewiz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light yellow colour with fine and tiny bubbles.
Nose shows nice maturity already with hints of oak and mature apples. The palate is very youthful with nice lenght.
This bottle degorged September 2014.
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9/3/2014 - hackey37 wrote: 94 Points
The color is hay gold, brilliant, with miniscule bubbles. The smells are apple, ginger, almond, honey, and sweet exotic spices. The tastes are apple, apricot, ginger, buttered toast, and almonds. The spicy and zingy finish is delicious and would be nearly perfect for any food.
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8/25/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deg Oct.2012: Golden in color. Nose of dark bread and sweet caranek apples. Very elegant, well structured and long. Dosage fits the wine well. Drink now without any hurry. Opens up in the glass
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8/24/2014 - sooper65 wrote: 82 Points
Hmmmm, not all it should be. Dreary, excessively yeasty/biscuity, with no zip, no lift, and just not all that pleasurable. Wasn't quite corked... Though it would have been better if it was... Then no doubts... As it is, I have a dozen more.
Fingers crossed for the next bottle.
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8/23/2014 - BSA Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Klubben - especiale)
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8/2/2014 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
This is the 3rd time we had this wine in the last year and definitely this has now settled down into a rich, ripe very expressive champagne. Vibrant and with good acidity and starting to show a rounder side to it. pretty solid. 92-93 for now but will definitely improve
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7/26/2014 - Markus Randall wrote: 94 Points
Beuatiful, intense, complex nose of hazel nuts, cream, butter, red apple and lime, with herbal notes. The palate is dry and crisp showing an elegant wine, with medium body, medium alcohol with fairly intense flavours of nut, lime, red and yellow apple, and a long finish. The complexity is budding, the wine is elegant and stylish and has a long life a head of it, but already drinks very well. Will easily improve until 2020, probably a good deal longer.
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7/6/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bottle Deg. October 2012. Light golden in color. Wonderful nose of flowers, nuts and toasted bread. Highly elegant and complex. It starts developing wonderfully with air. Having recently been a 'victim' of growers Champagne (which I truly love), it was a confirmation to see how great the Cuvees from the large houses can be. A true beauty 94pts. Drink now - 2022
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6/28/2014 - Champagne88 wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was a bit off compared to my last. Very good still, but less of the nuttiness and nougat in mid-palate, with slightly too much tartness from the green apple. The finish was still great. My guess is that this was a little off, but it's also clear that this is still quite tight and (like I said in an earlier review) needs to spend a fair number of years in the cellar to be really great. 93+
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6/27/2014 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
A Friday evening at Marea (Marea, NYC): In the glass, clear pale gold with a very slight pink tint, and relatively few bubbles. On the nose, a mix of citrus and baked bread. On the palate, somewhere between sweet red apple and slightly sour green apple, and a faint hint of oak, with very little of the yeasty/bread notes one might expect after the aromatics, and a moderately creamy texture.
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6/20/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
Bollinger (and Krug) has a much wider palate than most other producers from this district, with nuts and nougat, mixed with apples. And a marvelous nose. A great champagne from an important producer.
Needs 2-3 hours for the cream to really show.
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6/20/2014 - EirikM wrote: 91 Points
Single blind tasting of 12 champagnes and sparkling wines: Clearly a high level champagne. Showing some oak, but deep and complex. Well balanced. Nice mouthfeel and my second favourite (by a whisker) in the tasting. Not quite as good as the 2002 though
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6/18/2014 - MWiking wrote: 93 Points
tycker näsan är 1 nivå bättre än smaken, näsa 94-95 smak 92-94
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6/11/2014 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Lovely and rich nose filled with plenty of sweet apple fruit, smoke and hazelnuts.
The palate is equally impressive with lot of red and yellow sweet apple flavor with a touch of hazelnut and vanilla.
Plenty of oak and sweetness but very true to the house style. A great wine.
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6/7/2014 - berlinhotel Likes this wine: 93 Points
93+
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6/4/2014 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
I think CHRISTOFFER78 and I drank the same bottle. The only difference I noted was the power/structure of the wine. The acidity was front and center but fantastic all around.
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6/2/2014 - vespasian Likes this wine: 92 Points
As before very forward in this vintage, one to drink sooner rather than later but very complex and delicious.
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5/30/2014 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A stunningly beautiful but also very young LGA. This 2004 expresses tons of green apple, toast, lightly roasted walnuts, sweet brioche and a citrus perfume which is just adorable. The palate is perfectly balanced and offers a lovely structure and texture embraced by a lovely and expressive mousse. The length on the finish is quite impressive and it seems to last for over a minute. This is stunning example of the house style: elegance combined with power and structure. It is of course brutally young right now and it needs a couple of years to come around. Still it is without the slightest doubt a treat tonight too.
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4/19/2014 - Champagne88 wrote: 94 Points
One of my very favorite 2004s. This should really appeal to those who enjoy the Bollinger style. Green apple and freshly baked bread on the nose. The palate matches with unreal freshness. The Pinot certainly dominates at the beginning, giving off creamy apples and nougat, but the Chardonnay gives an almost endless slightly smokey mineral finish. So much structure here. This should be unbelievable in 5 years or so, and extraordinary in a decade or more, but it's hard not to want it all now.
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4/17/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
From a bottle that must have been open at least 24 hours.
Someone wrote nougat, and that is a very fitting description.
Perfect integration with the red and green apples very elegantly appearant, however short on mousse and bubbles.
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4/5/2014 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic medium bodied champagne, with pure creamy nougat notes and wonderful vanilla. Great finish, just delicious!
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3/28/2014 - Tartiflette Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great but much too young. High acidity and strong mousse. Hazelnuts, yeast, young apples and a hint of peach. Will be great with time.
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3/26/2014 - Winetex Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light color with slight mousse and tiny bubbles; Red apple flavors with a touch of toast. 2/3 Pinot/1/3 Chardonnay; 8 years in barrels. Complex and a slightly lighter bodied example of this Cuvee. Should improve with age. A personal favorite wine. Tasted at Bollinger in Ay.
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3/22/2014 - Bisty Likes this wine: 93 Points
Disgorged October 2012.
Very seductive already with notes of very luxurious multi-dimensional apple sauce with hints of oak treatment. Same on the palate with a very refreshing acidity. Feels very low dosage, lower than the displayed Brut. Compared to the 2002 this is more extrovert but less intellectual. Should provide excellent drinking now-2025.
The fruit was particularly reminiscent of a small grower I hold dear in Aÿ.
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3/22/2014 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was spot on. a bit sweet but so silky smooth with not a rough edge on it. apple, brioche,and honey. heavy mousse that lead to a creamy mid palate. This was really good and I will get my hands on more
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3/20/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
Pnp.
My fourth time drinking this vintage, and this time the LGA is singing. Finally the red and green apples, have found their place, in the forefront, but well integrated, supported by a slight touch of bred and citrus. 17 euro by the glass, which is quite a treat.
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3/7/2014 - Ramberg wrote: 93 Points
Lovely Champagne from a really good and likable vintage, and of course, producer.
The Grand Année 2004 is a classical Bollinger, toasted nose with red apples, some yest and nuts.
Lovely taste of red and yellow apples, some pears, minerals and some subtle and enriching oak spice.
Has a touch of nice oxidized apples on the finish, giving it a somewhat early maturity taste.
Drinks really good now, and will continue to do so for years ahead.
Lovely Champagne, indeed.
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2/28/2014 - Shampanski wrote:
Perhaps still too young but complex and delicious.
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2/17/2014 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
A private dinner (Restaurant Ciel Bleu **, Amsterdam, NL): Rich but not deep colour; lovely nose, candied fruit, noticeable oak influence, 2004-freshness, distinctive note of five spice; medium weight, quite evolved flavours, not as tightly wound or energetic as the 2002, attractive and well-balanced; very good length. Drinking well, not for the very long term.
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2/15/2014 - Finare Vinare wrote: 93 Points
Birthday party for a 68 (Stockholm): Light gold, rich nose, youthful mousse, abundant flavour, great balance.
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2/9/2014 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
For whatever reason this showed better than a bottle a week ago, despite the fact that it was poured while we were eating a sweet ice cream/berry/merringue dessert. This drinks great now but tastes a little young and I suspect it will come together in a couple years. Not a bruiser, full of finesse. Looking forward to trying it with more age.
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2/8/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Memorable Grand Champagne Tasting (St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Beautifully toasted on the nose, nice streak of minerals, pastry cream, yeast, heady mousse, pear, bread. The palate is younger, yeasty, brioche, intense and powerful, but remains elegant and finessed, pear, apple, white peach, a touch chalky on the finish. Lovely. This was drinking a bit younger than the '04 Vilmart.
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2/8/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Epic Champagne Tasting (St. Paul, MN): Probably better but after the heavy hitters before just lacks in comparison. Not Vilmart, Krug or Tattinger level. Apple, spice, dough and minerals. Decant acidity but just not in the league of the best.
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2/6/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
Pnp. My third time drinking this vintage.
More mature than the 2002 and seems to be ready for drinking. Probably not for the long term. Brioche and nuttiness, that may show better with some more bottle age. Reminds me of Krug, but does not have quite the same complexity and elegance. 92+.
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1/28/2014 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Tons of intensity. Well balanced, has a lot of flavor with minerals and yeast that just seem to be amped up. I'd like to see this in a couple years after it has had a chance to mellow out.
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1/26/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: CDP's and Southern Rhones (Cafe Lurcat, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. This was very pretty and elegant. The nose is a bit reticent now, minerals, floral, pear. The palate is energetic with good intensity yet delicate, very fine bead, pear, subtle red apple, minerals and a medium plus finish. There was something else I couldn't quite put my finger on in the flavor profile that was appealing. I'm looking forward to tasting this again in about 10 days and having a longer examination.
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1/23/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
Last minute dinner with Len: Earthy, toast, peach and a touch floral. More rich than the 02 and the acidity is more folded in. Opened quickly in the glass and showed even more richness. Not as driven as the 02 but still a very good wine.
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1/17/2014 - thewiz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light yellow colour with a stream of fine tiny bubbles.
On the nose there's brazil nut, citrus, elder flowers, hazelnuts and liquorice. And everything tied up with minerals and flint.
The palate is youthful, but already showing incipient softness. The finish is round and long.
The soft and round finish makes it available from the start, but the nice acidity hiding behind it should make it good for cellaring.
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1/6/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 94 Points
LCBO Tasting Bar Sample. Drinking nicely though a bit young at this point. Nose blasts caramel apples, salted toffee, smoked salt, fresh baked brioche drizzled in honey, sugar soaked lemon peel, shortbread. Massively complex and rich. Palate as expected is more linear and acidic while also replaying rich notes and just right dosage. Excellent balance and long finish. Will age nicely and I anticipate it to peak in 6-8 years, though no harm in checking in on a bottle now. 94 today with upside potential.
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1/4/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
Quite different from my previous tasting. Fully integrated and the red apples are not as appearant anymore. Apples, toast and quite a lot of citrus as with the LGA rosé 2004. Nice bubbles but a bit weak mousse.
The 2002 seems to harbour much more complexity than the 2004 vintage and the 2004 is probably better to drink now than the previous release.
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12/17/2013 - DonalOB wrote: 92 Points
HK Christmas party. Savoury with usual toasty notes. Not as dense/heavy as previous examples - came across lighter and quite refined which I preferred. Hopefully will continue to age well.
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12/6/2013 - stadler Likes this wine:
Servi en magnum, dégorgé en mars 2013. Assemblage de 66% de Pinot noir et 34% de Chardonnay. Robe d'or pâle. Ne pas servir trop frais surtout, plutôt à température de cave, c'est le conseil de la maison. C'est finement beurré au nez, on sent une structure s'avancer et la bouche le confirme, par son opulence, sa rondeur, ses fines touches de noix et de beurre, c'est encore tout jeune et une preuve supplémentaire, s'il en fallait, que le Champagne est un grand vin de garde
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12/5/2013 - Matt Neel Likes this wine:
Crush's Champagne Gala 2013 (Crush Wine & Spirits, Midtown Manhattan): Straw. Huge, yeasty, sauvage nose -- like wild yeast; savage and wild; really primary -- lemon is all I got as to detail. Palate is ginormous, intense acidity but with good, sweet fruit, too: think rock candy mountain. Firm mousse and terrific length. Fantastic Champagne. The best BGA I've tried in a long while as the '02 was closed for business the last time(s) I had it.
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12/5/2013 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Crush's Annual Champagne Gala 2013 (Crush Wine & Spirits, Midtown Manhattan.): Whoa. This is a beast: not just rich in the Bolly style, but huge and burly on the nose with really broad shoulders. Matt says "sauvage": brown, gnarly and stinky with yeast, creamy, malty, spicy with lemon and pear. Palate is just as huge: burly and structured - really a mouthful. like a dense sculpture: lemon, vanilla, brown, spice, rough. This has a lot of potential - but I don't think it will ever be a subtle and elegant wine. Nose - 5+/6, Palate - 5+/6, Finish - 5+/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16-16.5+/20.
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11/25/2013 - MWiking wrote: 93 Points
känns som en champagne som mognar tidigt, vinet har redan toner av nötter, brioche, massa gula mogna äppen, kola-toner. ett jäkligt bra vin helt enkelt.
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11/23/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Golden yellow in colour. Ripe, sweet fruit, tropical notes, baked apple, brioche, a hint of honey. Fine and gentle bubbles, rich and off-dry on the palate, apples, stone fruit, lime, yeast, good freshness, young and bold. Slightly oxidised. Complex and rich, excellent. Good future. 93+
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11/23/2013 - HowardNZ wrote: 90 Points
The nose here is all exotic, tropical fruit, particularly pineapple. Also an obvious lactic element reminiscent of clotted cream or thickly buttered toast. The palate is very rich, for me a bit overdone, tending brioche or creme brûlée, a little cloying. The oxidative style here seemed a little old fashioned and one dimensional, lacking sufficient focus or precision. 90.
This was a real disappointment after the remarkable 1996 Grande Année we enjoyed last week and the excellent 2002 Grande Année I had a year ago.
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11/16/2013 - TinMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Toasty elegance with very subtle and well-balanced notes of caramel, earth, rock, and flat citrus. Nice!
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10/31/2013 - Man in Black wrote:
Clear and bright, medium gold colour with small bubbles. The nose is clean and developing with pronounced intensity aromas of yeast, biscuit, dried figs, yellow apple, lemon peel and cream. It's off-dry in the mouth, with high acidity, medium- alcohol, light body, creamy mousse and pronounced intensity flavours of dried figs, yellow apples, lemon peel, biscuits and cream. The finish is long. It's a very good quality wine with a good balance between fruit and autolytic aromas, with an integrated acidity and some complexity, but the aromas are slightly oxidized. Drink now, not suitable for ageing.
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10/6/2013 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cellier Wine Fair (Intercontinental Hotel): 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay
Clear mid lemon color.
The nose is clean, complexity of med+ intensity, lemon at first and then tropical fruits emerge, oak and yeast derived aromas come after that with butter, almonds and walnuts, youthful.
Dry, med+ body, intensity and acidity, med alcohol, excellent balance and structure, dried exotic fruits with pear, green apple and pineapple on the med+ finish.
Outstanding quality, ultra premium price, drinking now but could age.
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10/5/2013 - Sundbyberg wrote: 91 Points
Poped and pour. Great, red, apples and with a touch of toast, but due to its youth this champagne does not show much more than this. Wait 2-3 years and it will probably burst into something special.
As of now, the NV is actually to prefer.
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9/30/2013 - tarheel17 wrote:
Institute of Masters of Wine 9th Annual Champagne Tasting (San Francisco): nose: after the Roederer 2006, this was super shy and soft in aroma. I got faint peach, but it was really not very aromatic in general.
palate: I found this lean for a typical Bollinger, but I think something more magical lies in wait. Some chalk was evident, but the wine was hard to evaluate behind whatever stone wall it is hiding right now. I'm disappointed I wasn't able to make a more complete evaluation in the setting.
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9/29/2013 - Shorepower wrote:
Kul att prova direkt en RD 1988 efter då släktskapet är så tydligt. 2004 GA är en av de bättre 04orna jag druckit. Balanserat, fylligt och krämig mousse. Klart ett vin för lagring, om det överlever så länge
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9/18/2013 - Antti wrote:
More evolved nose than I expected, oxidative(not oxidized), baking spices, rich autolytic character. Somewhat primary and unresolved on the palate, of course as it's so young. Rich and quite wide, a promising young GA. We'll meet again.
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9/17/2013 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points
A blend of Pinot Noir (2/3) and Chardonnay (1/3), sourced from Grand Cru (88%) and Premier Cru (12%) vineyards. The wine is first fermented and aged in old oak before being bottled. The wine is aged for 7 years before release, of which the wine ages in bottles with the lees for 5 years.
Surprisingly youthful, green-hued color for a Champ with 9 years of age. Quite rich, developed and expressive nose with attractive, complex aromas of toffee, roasted walnuts, sweet citrus fruit, honey, some toasted bread crust, a faint, brooding undertone of nuanced oxidation and nuances of pipe tobacco and apple pie with vanilla sauce. On the palate the wine feels dry, quite full-bodied and rather muscular with complex, but surprisingly robust and intense flavors that follow the nose. The fruit aromas of baked apple and very ripe citrus fruits - even lemon marmalade - are supported by layered nuances of roasted nuts, honey, burnt sugar, brioche and oxidative hints of almonds and caramel. The fine mousse feels rather soft and mellow, yet the wine feels really tightly-wound due to the remarkably high acidity. Overall the wine feels really big, almost monolithic, for a Champagne, yet not one bit too heavy. The long, crisp and powerful finish feels harmonious with developed, complex flavors of honey, burnt sugar, some oxidative notes of nuts and caramel and hints of coffee, counterpointed by hints of lemony sharpness and baked apple sweetness, emphasized by the dosage of 7-8 g/l.
Even at 9 years of age, this wine is still a baby. There are some oxidative hints reminding me of Oloroso Sherry or Madeira - even more so than in LGA 2002 - yet the wine feels painfully young and demanding much more age in a cellar. There is a lot of stuff, but the wine feels a bit awkward and disjointed, suggesting that it won't show its best yet, but probably after a few years. I would, however, let the wine age a lot more before opening one - after all, a wine like this can easily take 20-30 more years easily. Definitely a must for people who enjoy bigger, bolder and heavier Champagnes. If served this young, I could imagine the wine benefiting a lot from letting it breathe in a decanter. Highly recommended Champagne, but mainly for cellaring purposes. Priced according to its quality at 99,90€.
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9/17/2013 - avp wrote:
Peach to golden apple nose with some rhubarb bite, mushroomy earth, vanilla, smoke, peat and something almost malty.
Dry, full bodied and rich on the round palate with gentle smooth moussé. Fruit is peachy but not very intense at all. Oak treatment and autolysis are way more prominent. Hazelnuts, vanilla and again something malty rich. Long finish.
Not that balanced performance at the moment. Rich, open and approachable for sure, but the fruit isn't keeping up with the other components. Needs time to find balance. Good stuff anyway.
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9/17/2013 - Tavastgatan wrote: 93 Points
This is rich and packed with fruit. Very good now but will be lovely with age.
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8/5/2013 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
This has evolved nicely since last year. Full on rich champagne, lots of honey notes on the nose. Honey dominates actually. Citrus, ripe citrus full of body and depth. Still on the young side with a sharp side to it at this stage but as time goes by this should become a magnificent wine. 92 now but full of promise.
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7/13/2013 - Clos & Cru Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nutty, yeasty, rich, opulent, little edgy
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6/20/2013 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
At the Bordeaux Index Champagne Tasting. From Magnum.
Quite developed already and much like the other 2004s we tried on the night ( Dom, Comte de champagne) it felt a lot more approachable than the sharp 2002s at the same age. Well round lush but with lot of life ahead of it. Light toasty on the nose. To be honest at this stage the Special Cuvee NV is probably a better proposition. 91
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6/6/2013 - Clos & Cru wrote: 90 Points
Subtle aromas of orange blossom, apricots, violets, honey, touch of oak, but still very shy
On the palate little edgy, honey, poached pear with creamy mouse and full body. As on the nose feels very shy with fairly shallow finish. Will be interesting to see how it will develop.
Tasted from Magnum. Once after it was just open and 2 hours after.
Disgorged October 2012
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5/3/2013 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Brioche and a bit oxidative style, nuts. Beautiful, but not mind-blowing.
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4/23/2013 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good, but no 1996
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4/22/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 93 Points
Very approachable already now. Wonderful deep and long in the finish. Great Bollinger.
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3/7/2013 - vespasian Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale to medium gold colour, very steady stream of fine bubbles; quite a tight nose but has lovely defined floral and blossom notes alongside the more typical autolytic character; good energy on the palate, complex already, lovely flavour. Quit long and spreads out nicely across the palate. Very good length actually, one of the most approachable and enjoyable young Grand Annee vintages I have tasted. 94-96
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2/28/2013 - MarcelloW wrote: 91 Points
Very fine bubbles...light yellow color...moderate volume...not as fruity and rich as the nv bollinger, but more elegant...still young, but already accessible...i doubt this will have a very long life...will probably be best in 2 to 5 years...not as impressive as the grande année rosé 2004...
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2/13/2013 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 93 Points
primarily of Pinot Noir and from the typical house style of using 100% old oak barrels, this is aged for 5 years on its lees and provides an abundance of full on flavor with nice balance, crisp acidity and lots of nice stone fruit to make for a real treat.
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12/4/2012 - bmagic wrote: 89 Points
Nose - wonderful! Apples and pears; soft and all in balance.
Palate - sadly the promise of the nose does not follow through to the palate. A little watery. Pear juice, grapefruit, lychees, Granny Smith green apples. Long finish. I think this is way too young to drink - I hope it will improve with age, but I would always choose the 2002 over the 2004. 89 pts.
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12/1/2012 - mmh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Disgorged September 2012. Very young, of course, but compared to the 2002 this is much more accessible. Toast, citrus fruits and toffee. Quite complex and long. Good acidity, but lower than the 2002. This is a very good champagne that will improve, but I don't think it needs many years to reach its peak as it dies a bit after an hour in the glass.
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