2000 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises

The 2000 Brut Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Francaises emerges from the glass with an elegant, refined mousse that is captivating. Sweet, perfumed and layered, the 2000 VVF shows off superb grace and a long, vibrant finish. This is an especially elegant and understated version of this Champagne. My preference is to drink VVF before age 20. Bollinger’s VVF is one of Champagne’s rarest and most iconic wines. Just a few thousand bottles are made each year from Pinot Noir grafted onto pre-phylloxera rootstocks in Ay and Bouzy. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. This is a beautiful set of new releases from Bollinger, one of Champagne’s reference-point houses. The wines are aged in neutral oak barrels, while all of the reserve wines are aged in magnums, a painstaking procedure that must be seen to be truly appreciated. This year I didn’t taste the entry-level NV Special Cuvee or Brut Rose, but the Special Cuvee in particular is typically one of my favorite Champagnes in the $75 price range. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900

Light gold with a steady bead of pinpoint bubbles. Deep, musky aromas of buttered toast, cherry pit, blood orange, lemon rind, pungent herbs and yellow rose, with mounting spiciness. Deeply concentrated but showing unlikely finesse, with firm, gripping red berry and citrus flavors and exotic notes of candied flowers and smoky lees. Intriguing for its blend of richness and delicacy; the endless finish repeats the spice and floral notes and lingers with impressive clarity and notes of honey, anise and minerals.

The 2000 Brut Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Francaises emerges from the glass with an elegant, refined mousse that is captivating. Sweet, perfumed and layered, the 2000 VVF shows off superb grace and a long, vibrant finish. This is an especially elegant and understated version of this Champagne. My preference is to drink VVF before age 20. Bollinger’s VVF is one of Champagne’s rarest and most iconic wines. Just a few thousand bottles are made each year from Pinot Noir grafted onto pre-phylloxera rootstocks in Ay and Bouzy. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. This is a beautiful set of new releases from Bollinger, one of Champagne’s reference-point houses. The wines are aged in neutral oak barrels, while all of the reserve wines are aged in magnums, a painstaking procedure that must be seen to be truly appreciated. This year I didn’t taste the entry-level NV Special Cuvee or Brut Rose, but the Special Cuvee in particular is typically one of my favorite Champagnes in the $75 price range. Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate # 186