Anyone try this yet?
The wine is being presented as of this week in the US…!
Yeah wasn’t sure if it was out earlier in Europe
Didnt try yet but did buy.
I thought the official launch from Bollinger at the winery was next week, but they might be doing some other events prior. There have been sneak peaks and hype is high. I haven’t tried it, but hope they have solved the oxidation issues (due to a mishandling of a low SO2 pursuit - especially at disgorgement) that have messed with many recent releases IMO.
I just bought one, it’s not my fav producer, but it seems like a decent value.
Agreed…for this reason I stopped buying it
Thanks for the heads up on that, I was just thinking it might be a value for the vintage.
I was not aware of this. The 2004 and 2007 I tried did not seem affected. Could you elaborate Brad or point to a thread where you did so previously? Curious to know what to watch for as I was planning to take a very strong position in the 2008s when they get here. Specifically curious to know if I am likely safe buying out of whatever parcel gets delivered here if I find the tasting bottle to be in order.
Tom,
I haven’t had the 2008 so I can’t speak on this release, but the summary is that a few years ago Bollinger decided to reduce their use of SO2 and in doing so decided to concentrate most on the disgorgement process which is the weakest link IMO. If you are going to disgorge, not always jet, and suddenly not use SO2 on a wine that has seen SO2 throughout the process, you are asking for trouble and variability. I have had quite a bit of variability on all vintages post-2002 and all RDs from 1999 onwards (some of the later releases of 2002 were also disappointing IMO).
Wow. Thank you for the additional detail. I will proceed with caution.
“Recent” since at least 1985.
2004 Grande Année last night was oxidised.
This reminded me of one tasting where a few people called out LGA (can’t remember vintage, probably 2002 or 2004) oxidized after a few very zippy and youthful Blanc de Blancs and other classic Champagne blends.
Most of the people - who were aware of the LGA style - thought the wine was still very youthful and still going uphill for a long time.
I haven’t had one single oxidized Bollinger to this date, but I’ve had a few wines that have been conspicuously mute and very underwhelming compared to the typical burly, muscular style of the house. I have wondered if that’s one of the issues resulting from the low SO2 of Bolly?
I gave up on this house a long time ago. Not my style and I don’t like the way the 96/98/99 went.
If it’s to the point Brad says then why wouldn’t they try and pull bottles from distro. That would be a brand killer if widespread.
No, the winery release is actually today IIRC!
Robert,
Some people like the style. I find recent releases to show a lot of variation. Sometimes you get show lush, in-your-face aromas and flavors, other times dullness and emptiness, and you can also get bottles with too much oxidation. That is my opinion, but others will disagree.
If you look at a couple recent releases, they held off on releasing the 2000 RD (outside of a few hundred jeroboams) and downgraded the 2006 Grande Annee Rose. Bollinger is out for quality and they are one of the few big names who will actually refuse grapes at harvest if the desired quality isn’t there. They are doing a lot of good things, but I question how they are going after SO2 reduction as I think it has changed their wines in a not-so-good way.
Ah ok, I was taking it as more of a flaw than a style issue. But still, inconsistent showings would be problematic for me.
Has Bollinger said they’ve done anything to address the problems? It seems like they’ve turned a blind eye for quite some time. I love their wines, but I definitely wouldn’t be buying any to age until I know they’ve changed their disgorgement process.