Bollinger is making all things old new again. The champagne house’s latest expression of the 2007 RD Cuvee features new label that pays homage to the its storied past. The label features the original aluminum alloy material with lettering from the 1952 font, which is a reference to the date of disgorgement and the inaugural release (“RD” stands for “recemment degorge” or “recently disgorged;” the original vintage was cuvee was first shared in 1967 with champagne from the 1952 harvest). At the time, the practice of launching an old vintage that was recently disgorged and then dosed with an Extra Brut was revolutionary. Since then, the approach has come to represent the visionary foresight of Madame Bollinger and the quality that you can expect from the Bollinger house.
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For this most recent expression, the proportions had to be altered. “When it is a hot vintage we use more Verzenay than Ay, because it is more north orientated, and with the 2007, Verzenay dominates with 29% of the blend,” explains Denis Bunner, the deputy chef de cave for Bollinger. The 2007 expression also features grapes from few villages—14 grapes instead of the normal 20. This makes the production of the 2007 RD around 10 percent lower than the previous release from the 2004 vintage. The Bollinger RD 2007 is primarily Pinot Noir (70 per cent) and 30 per cent Chardonnay.
There’s also 14 crus, which includes 91 per cent Grand Crus and 9 per cent Premier Crus. Even with these changes, the 2007 has what Bunner described as unexpected qualities of energy and spice. To the nose, the 2007 expression comes with aromas of honey and brioche followed by spices and then finishing with plum, dried apricot, and hazelnut. On the palate, imbibers will enjoy notes of white plum, walnut, and aniseed.
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