The chief French champagne (Bollinger) company, founded in 1829 in France, entered the British port of Champagne earlier, the British royal socialites and other favorite champagne brands, still use oak barrels to ferment champagne houses
Bollinger is one of the leading producers in the Champagne region of France. Founded in 1829 in Reims, Champagne, France, the Bollinger Distillery exported its first champagne to England in 1835, making it one of the few champagnes to enter British ports. At the time, Bollinger was already known for its distinctive taste profile, adding less sugar than other wineries in the brewing process, and among the various sweet and greasy champagnes, the Brut-type was so bright and refined that the British royal family favored it as the "royal champagne".
Champagne de France has 140 hectares (346 acres) of vineyards, mainly in the vicinity of the town in the mountains of Reims. These vineyards meet 70% of the comptoir's grape needs, thus guaranteeing the enviable quality and stylistic stability of Boehringer Champagne.
The British royal family relied on the unsurpassed quality of the Premier French Champagne, which was designated by Queen Victoria as the Royal Champagne in 1884. Since then, no British monarch has ever changed this choice. In addition to the royal family, its lovers include American governors, celebrities and even some famous movie characters: 007, for example, the chief French champagne has always been James Bond's only love.
What stands out about Boehringer is that it uses grapes of the highest quality. In the firm's own vineyards, 60 per cent of the grapes are of the first class and 30 per cent of the grapes are of the first grade. Boehringer only uses the juice of the first squeeze, and sells the juice of the second squeeze to the companies that make cheap champagnes. The quality of the grape juice allowed the compirtoir to ferment the champagne in wooden barrels. The result is a vibrancy that cannot be emulated by those made in stainless steel containers. Boehringer believes that a good Champagne requires a lot of work on the lees (a by-product of fermentation) in order to develop the unique style and fullness of the champagne. Champagnes are kept for at least 3 years (12 months), 5 years and 8 years.
R.D.和Grande Anné
It may be from him that many champagne fans and 007 fans first heard of "Bollinger R.D.". 007 in 1987 said, "Bollinger R.D., it's the best!" R.D. is Bollinger's third home and is the only champagne on sale.
To put it simply, R.D. is a blended champagne that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and is also a special vintage champagne. R.D. Champagne is made by sampling and analysing the base wines of the best vintages of the year, selecting the best parts for a longer period of age. Compared to the best vintages of the same year, R.D. has more aromas and more ageing – and of course, more bubbles and a longer aftertaste.
Studies have shown that within 3 to 4 years of contact with yeast residue, the degree of oxidation in the bottle with stainless steel stoppers is basically the same as that in cork stoppers, and once it has been more than 4 years, the degree of oxidation in champagne sealed with cork begins to be significantly lower than that of wines with stainless steel stoppers. Moreover, the longer the time passes, the more significant the difference. For this reason, Bollinger uses stainless steel stoppers for Spéial Cuvé, which has been aged for more than 3 years, and Bollinger uses oak stoppers for Grande Anné, Grande Anné Ros R.D. and Vine Champagnes, all of which have been aged for more than 5 years, to preserve the freshness of the wines.
During aging, the bottles are inserted upside down into the round holes in the wooden frame, and a special "plucker" turns them daily from bottle to bottle and gradually increases the inclination of the bottle. When the aged time is long enough, the bottle is frozen at -25°C, the cork is pulled out, and the frozen ice cubes at the mouth of the bottle are automatically spit out, and a certain amount of sugary "liqueur d'expeition" is added to supplement the loss of wine during the long-term fermentation process and to achieve a better balance of aromas. Speial Cuvenrut, with 7-9 grams of sugar per litre, and the best vintage champagne is Extra-Brut, with only 3-4 grams of sugar per litre. Immediately after that, seal the mouth of the bottle with a wooden stopper. After the yeast residue is discharged, the bottle is left to rest for at least 3 months before it can be marketed. Because the air pressure vibrates in the wine during the removal of the discretment, the various components in the wine can be used to rebalance and blend perfectly with the sugars during this "recuperation period".
Vintage champagnes from Grande Anne and R.D. are also Bollinger Grande Anne Rose. Rosé Champagne is made in much the same way as Grande Anne, with the added addition of a small portion of red wine to bring out that flush. The wine comes from Pinot Noir harvested in La Cee Aux Enfants, a Grand Cru in the heart of Village A, which gives the champagne a charming, smooth taste and increases its ageing capacity. Rosé Champagne is produced in small quantities, such as the Grande Anne Rose 1995, which was launched in 2001 with the Grande Anne 1995, with only 15,000 bottles.
Bollinger's Best Vintage Champagnes are aged in cellars for at least 5 years before they leave the factory. Anyone who has drunk the 90-year-old Bollinger Grande Ann will not forget its "eclectic mix of elegance and power", which is what the world's wine magazines have said about this vintage. Bright and ripe golden bronze, the wine is not only fruity, but also toasty, with an intact structure, balanced acidity, a fresh and full-bodied palate and a long finish. The 1995 Best Vintage Champagne is also one of Bollinger's masterpieces. The grapes used come from the orchards of Grand Cru (85%) and Premier Cru (15%) in 17 villages, with 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay, which is the approximate blend of Bollinger Champagnes for each vintage. The 1997 Best Vintage Champagne, which left the factory in September, is also a top quality, with grapes sourced from Grand Cru and Premier Cru appellations in 16 villages. What Bollinger Grande Anne has in common is its longevity, its richness and richness, its complex aromas, its longevity in the mouth, and its unique flavor depending on the vintage, permeated by the sunshine and rain of the year, revealing the terrain and the characteristics of traditional brewing techniques.
