Introducing the Bollinger PN collection, the first in a series, each release showcasing a different cru from the base year that highlights its unique taste.

Pinot Noir is the pillar of the Champagne Bollinger style, and the House has forged its reputation by showcasing this variety. The first edition of the PN cuvée is released in 2020 and aims to prolong the heritage and the legendary style Bollinger is renowned for.

This VZ15 edition is the first interpretation from the new collection. Each year will see a new addition to the PN collection, exploring the House’s various terroirs in a different way.

Significantly this is the first new cuvée from Bollinger since 2008 when Bollinger Rosé NV was launched.

Bollinger are famed for their Pinot Noir so there is little surprise that it’s signature rich, open style shines through. The wonderful smoky, nutty and caramel tones imparted by Bollinger’s distinct foudre ageing are already present and the reserve wines, aged for up to 10 years en magnum, add to its exceptional aromatic intensity.

Delicate, with gold glints. The wine opens with aromas of cherry stone, jam-infused fruit and dried fig. The rich, complex nose then develops towards toasted, baked notes, as well as aromas of elderflower and pear. The generous fruit is combined with mouth-watering vivacity and releases peach and apricot flavours in the mouth, enhanced with hazelnut and acacia blossom notes. It finishes with a wonderful lively aromatic note reminiscent of yuzu.

Blend of the VZ15 edition: 100% Pinot Noir (Blanc de Noirs).
Main origin: Verzenay.
Other villages: Aÿ, Bouzy and Tauxières.
Base wine: 2015.
Exclusive use of the cuvée.
Maturation: Cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appelation.
Dosage: Moderate, 7 grams per litre.

PN VZ15 is a wine to be enjoyed by enthusiasts interested in the expression of Pinot Noir from across the Champagne region. To fully appreciate its unique style and aromas, PN VZ15 is best served between 8 and 10°C. You can enjoy PN VZ15 now or leave it in the cellar to develop further.

Will pair with Tomato tartlet, Risotto of Champagne lentils, Veal sweetbreads with chestnuts, Langres cheese

"The presentation is brilliant and is reminiscent of the house's legendary blanc de noirs Bollinger ’Vieilles Vignes Francaises’…..

A Verzenay blanc de noirs with sprinkles of Aÿ, Bouzy and Tauxières, where 50% of the wine comes from 2015 with reserve wines on magnum dating from 2009. Verzenay and Aÿ are, as you know, the dominant villages in Bollinger's vintage wines. Verzenay is often the chalky and mineral-rich backbone of Bollinger's vintage build-up. The wine is vibrantly fresh, mineral-driven and extremely pure. There is a clarity and sharpness that is outstanding, where gunpowder notes and aroma of grilled meat develop as the glass warms up slightly. I love this wine as it is a perfect creation from one of the most important villages in the whole of Champagne dominated by the aforementioned minerality, but also with notes of violet and red grapefruit so typical of Verzenay of the highest class. On aeration the scent develops more and more notes of pears, figs and freshly baked baguette and the taste develops towards peach and apricot jam. Personally, though, I will wait as long as I can before opening my own bottles to get the increasing depth of caramel and grilled hazelnut flavour that only time in the cellar can provide." 95pts Richard Juhlin

"Bright and vibrant on the palate, the PN VZ 15 captures all of the Pinot richness that is such a Bollinger signature but with the freshness and verve that make Pinots from Verzenay so distinctive. Rich red fruit, mint, dried flower and spice notes play off bright acids and veins of saline-drenched minerals in a display of aromas, flavors and textures that dazzle all the senses. Think of it as a baby VVF, but with the tension of Verzenay. The blend is approximately 50% Verzenay and 50% Aÿ, Bouzy and Louvois, done about half in steel and half in oak. This release is based on the 2015 vintage (50% of the blend), with reserve wines that go back to 2009, including 20% from the reserve magnums Bollinger is so famous for. This bottle was disgorged in November 2019 and dosage is 7 grams per liter, about average for Bollinger today.

As I have written before, many of Champagne’s big houses have embraced the ambitious spirit of grower Champagne with their recent bottlings, wines that often place more emphasis on variety and place than the flagship blended cuvées that are the core of what Champagne has represented in the past. This is yet another example. The new PN VZ 15 is superb, and sharply priced as well, something that is not often the case with new grande marque Champagnes these days. Don’t miss it." 94 pts Antonio Galloni