Bond 007 Spectre Bollinger Champagne--Yay, Marketing!

WINE TALK
1

I just got an email offer for the special 2009 Bollinger Champagne for the upcoming Bond Spectre release, with the 007 film logo on the label below the Bollinger name. It also comes in a special “chill” package. “Only” $199 for the 750’s…

I don’t think “shaken not stirred” applies here.

Bruce

2

James Bond movies were really the originator of the idea of marketing products within a movie. I think the one Bond movie that bid out to the car companies which one would get to be Bond’s new Q-enhanced supercar (it ended up being a BMW convertible) really started the wave, whereafter Carrie from Sex in the City conspicuously uses a Mac, Will Smith in I Am Legend has all the cars in the world to choose from but only drives various Fords (with loving closeups of the logo as he drives around), etc.

I could be wrong about that, but at least for me, Bond was where this all started.

3

A LWS had a special event last week for the release including the Aston Martin parked out front. I was a tad bit disappointed.

4

They did a version in 2002 that came in a special case with a combination lock that was “just” Grande Année with a Bond label/package. I gather this “Spectre” version is an entirely different wine from GA?

There’s been a long relationship between Bond and Bollinger going back to Live and Let Die, and one that was exclusive from Moonraker forward.

5

Not quite on topic, but I saw a Spectre themed package of Belvedere vodka last week. The bottle comes in a more or less bullet shaped metal container that I suspect converts into a cocktail shaker. I was about to comment on it to the guy standing near me while perusing the spirits, but he saw it at the same time, grabbed two, and said his son was turning 21 and loved Bond, so he had to get them. On the plus side, they didn’t appear to be charging extra for the packaging.

6

I should get one of those to go with my Duckhorn Winter Classic (Pens vs Caps) Special Edition. That, of course, was $10.99 in 2014…

7

I had the 02, just drank it a few months ago. The case isn’t too special, going in the garbage one day. Some of the other 007 bottlings from before 02 are big $$.

8

Yes, Bolly first appeared in Live and Let Die. Champagne, in general, first appeared in Dr. No (Dom Perignon). Kudos to Bollinger for somehow figuring to be the Champagne of the franchise.

9

The wine in this packaging is the 2009 Bollinger Grand Annee. Most of the Bollinger wines in the Bond movies are RD.

10

Yeah, I should have scare-quoted “special,” but apparently there is a secondary market for the thing.

Apparently that was the producer’s doing. From what I have read, it was a handshake agreement for L&LD and another movie or two, than an official exclusive after that.

Thanks for the correction, Shannon.

11

Shannon,

I’m not yet convinced that this is the same as what will be released the 2009 Grande Annee. I haven’t gotten a clear answer from Bollinger. It is from the same plots and selection as the Grande Annee, but I still don’t know if this a special selection/blend of a few of the Grande Annee wines or if it is exactly the same. It is made from a much smaller selection of villages and vineyards than what the Grande Annee traditionally sees, but Bollinger has been looking at making changes so the blend may very well make sense. This aspect along with no clear answer from Bollinger (which could be a good marketing move) is what still has me questioning exactly what this wine is.
- Edited to correct spelling error (bland in the 2nd to last sentence is now changed to blend)

12

Brad - that’s interesting. Some of the materials I’ve seen identify the wine as the 09 GA but who knows maybe they changed it along the way. Please update if you get an answer from Bollinger. They certainly have lots of wine to work in their cellars. Thanks for checking into it.

13

Unintentional joke, Brad? [snort.gif]

Bruce

14

Shannon,

I am assuming that Bollinger is still planning a 2009 Grande Annee release and that this isn’t going to be like the 2003 where they did a marketing spin on the Grande Annee to release a lower volume Grande Annee as something different and then charged more for it. The current Grande Annee on the market is the 2005 so 2009 isn’t coming anytime soon.

If you look back, 2009 was a time of uncertainty in Champagne with the global economy issues handcuffing many winemakers when it came to a vintage declaration. 2009 was very vintage worthy, but folks were worried about selling the wine (especially with cellars full of other vintages) and some didn’t declare when they should have or if they did declare, they did it a smaller than normal volume. I don’t recall exactly the mood at Bollinger at the time, but it is possible they decided to vintage a lower amount and are releasing it early. I honestly don’t have all the facts, but I wonder why they didn’t just do a relabel of the 2005 Grande Annee. There has to be more to this story.