Bollinger La Grande Année 1996

From magnum, Bollinger's 1996 La Grande Année is showing superbly, offering aromas of candied orange, peach and iodine mingled with rye bread, praline and roasted cacao bean. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, with taut musculature and the cool profile typical of the vintage, laden with incisive acidity and framed by considerable structuring dry extract, leading into a precise, chalky finish. Complemented by a pinpoint mousse, it shows greater freshness in magnum than in the standard bottle format and still has many years ahead of it. Stylistically, it is unmistakably 1996, but given the house’s decision to harvest late in this high-acid vintage, it is more harmonious than many other examples from the year. Disgorged around 2002, it carries a dosage of seven grams per liter. 2005-2036

A late release from the 1996 vintage, this glorious Champagne is worth stocking. Full-bodied and powerful, with a complex nose of grains, ginger and baking bread that turns to honey, citrus and nuts on the palate as it unfolds. Very firmly structured and intense, followed by a long nutty aftertaste. A Champagne for food. Superb. Best from 2005 through 2020. 1,700 cases imported. Highly Recommended.

The assemblage of Bollinger's Grande Annee 1996 consists of 75 percent grand cru and 25 percent premier cru vineyards, drawing on Pinot Noir (70 percent) for its weight and Chardonnay (30 percent) for finesse. Each vineyard lot is fermented seperately in neutral oak casks, after which a strict selection determines the final blend. This is a glorious '96, a vintage with high maturity and racy structure, full-bodied and powerful. Complex nose of grains, ginger and baking bread turn to honey, citrus and nuts on the palate as it unfolds. Very firmly structured and intense, followed by a long nutty aftertaste. A champagne for food. Superb. Best from 2005 through 2020.