Champagne Bollinger - La Grande Annee 2018

There’s a quiet sense of momentum building at Champagne Bollinger.

There are trips to Champagne that stay with you — and this was one of them. I was lucky enough to be invited out to Champagne Bollinger to celebrate two big moments: the release of Bollinger La Grande Année 2018 and a first look at what the house is building as it moves towards its bicentenary in 2029.

And what’s clear straight away is this — Bollinger isn’t standing still.

As they approach 200 years, they’re starting to open things up in a way they never really have before — with plans for a much more immersive visitor experience, and even a boutique hotel in the works, which I think will be…absolutely fabulous! For a house that’s always been quite private, it’s a big step, but it feels considered. Nothing rushed, nothing forced.

It’s all about bringing people a little closer to what makes Champagne Bollinger, Bollinger.

The New Barrel Room: Tradition, Scaled Up

We were taken through it before it’s fully operational — and honestly, standing in that space before it’s filled was something special. In a matter of months, it’ll be home to thousands of barrels, but at that moment it was quiet, almost untouched. A bit of a “you won’t get this again” kind of feeling. For me, that was a genuine once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Barrel ageing has always been at the heart of Bollinger’s identity. While most houses moved away from oak years ago, Bollinger stuck with it — fermenting and ageing wines in barrel to build texture, depth, and that signature richness.

This new space isn’t about changing that — it’s about protecting it and scaling it for the future. Making sure that even as they grow, they don’t lose what makes their wines so distinctive.

Bollinger La Grande Annee 2018

Alongside the unveiling of the barrel room came the release of Bollinger La Grande Année 2018 — a wine that perfectly ties together Bollinger’s past, present, and future.

La Grande Année has always represented the house at its most precise and expressive. Produced only in the best vintages, it’s a Champagne that leans heavily into Bollinger’s strengths: structure, ageing potential, and a distinctly vinous style shaped by oak.

The 2018 vintage is a blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, drawn from 19 crus, with Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ forming the backbone, supported by Chardonnay from Chouilly and Cuis.

True to house philosophy, the wine is aged under natural cork for more than twice the required time, with every bottle riddled and disgorged by hand. The dosage sits at a balanced 6g/l, allowing the fruit and structure to shine.

In the glass, it opens with fresh citrus and crisp Granny Smith apple, before broadening into layers of orchard fruit — white peach, apricot and Mirabelle plum. Given a little time, it becomes more complex, revealing fresh almond, warm brioche, acacia honey and delicate white floral notes, all underpinned by a fine mineral edge.

On the palate, it’s structured yet beautifully balanced, with flavours of fruit compote and quince leading into a creamy, persistent effervescence. There’s real depth here, and a length that just keeps going.

Takeaways

What stood out most from the trip wasn’t just the quality of the wine - although La Grande Année 2018 is undoubtedly exceptional - but the clarity of direction.

Bollinger isn’t trying to change who they are. Instead, they’re investing in what they’ve always done best - refining it, expanding it, and preparing to share it more openly as they approach their bicentenary.

And if this is the tone being set ahead of 2029, Bollinger’s next chapter is shaping up to be just as compelling as its last.

You can currently enjoy the new 2018 vintage at an introductory price of £25 off. Discover Now