A light golden colour, this has a nose of dried apricot mixed with grilled nuts. R.D. 2002 really comes alive on the palate, expressing toasty flavours and perfectly treading the balance between real weight without being too heavy. The powerful flavours are due to the extra ageing and this seriously mature champagne finishes with a freshness of fruit and long-lasting flavour. Only the very best vintages become Bollinger R.D. and 2002 is one of the best ever. This is mesmerising.

Champagne Bollinger owns an impressive 178 hectares of vineyards, of which 85% are in Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. Their land is spread over seven main villages: Aÿ, Avenay, Louvois, Tauxières and Verzenay planted with Pinot Noir; Cuis with Chardonnay; and Champvoisy with Meunier. Bollinger are one of the few Houses to produce the majority of their own grapes for their blends. Pinot Noir represents 60% of the House's vineyards and defines the House style: complex and powerful with remarkable structure. In 2012 Champagne Bollinger was certified High Environment Value (HEV) this certification rewards a number of environmental procedures implemented at the Maison.

Madame Bollinger created the first vintage of this now legendary prestige cuvée in 1961 with the launch of R.D. 1952. An acronym for Recently Disgorged, Bollinger R.D. is the result of Madame Bollinger's great vision: an expert wine with aromas enhanced by its exceptionally long maturation in the Bollinger family cellars - more than three times longer than required.

The 2002 vintage shaped up magnificently over the spring, with no significant frost and near-perfect flowering. Then followed a summer marked by long, sunny periods interspersed with regular cloudy and rainy spells. The vines were in good health and the dehydration of the grape berries helped them reach new heights of ripeness. Generally considered one of the best harvests in the last twenty years.

Vineyards: 71% Grand Cru, 29% Premier Cru
Grape Varieties: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Ageing: 11 years on the lees
Disgorged: October 2014
Dosage: 4 g/l
Drink: Now to 2025