The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's 50 best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
The underground world of the House’s cellars reveals the full importance of time at Bollinger’s. After primary fermentation in small stainless steel or wooden casks the wine is bottled in the spring and taken down to rest in the pervading silence of the chalk cellars; Special Cuvée champagne will remain there for at least three years and vintage cuvees for much longer. It is this long period of rest that develops the extraordinarily delicate aromas of the wine and gives the bubbles their smooth texture.
Each year, some of the very best wines are added to the House’s exceptional collection of 700,000 reserve magnums which are kept for blending Special Cuvée. Stoppered with natural corks during a light secondary fermentation, these magnums enable each wine, from every cru and every plot, to reveal the infinite subtlety of their bouquet and to develop their full complexity while being protected from oxidation. This is a luxury that gives Bollinger the opportunity of letting wines mature over many years before being used. The art of using reserve wines has reached absolute perfection!
Wine Information
Blend
60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier
Over 85% Grands and Premiers Crus
Maturation
Cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the Appellation
Dosage
Moderate, 8 to 9 grams
To the eye
A golden colour, distinctive of black grape varieties
Very fine bubbles
To the nose
A beautiful aromatic complexity
Ripe fruit and spicy aromas
Hints of roasted apples, apple compote and peaches
To the palate
A subtle combination of structure, length and vivacity
Bubbles like velvet. Pear, brioche and spicy aromas, notes of fresh walnut.
All fish, especially sushi and sashimi
Seafood: shrimp, prawn, crayfish, grilled lobster
Poultry and white meat
Cashews, Parmesan, prosciutto, especially Pata Negra
"Special Cuvée is perfect shared among friends, for a simple and meaningful moment. It is the champagne we give to the people we love and who love nice things. To enhance its unique style, bouquet and aromas, Special Cuvée is best served between 10 and 12°c. You can enjoy Special Cuvée right away, or choose to age it in your cellar… for more than 8 years."
Mathieu Kauffmann, Cellar Master
History
In 1911, Georges Bollinger’s British agent gave him the idea for the name Special Cuvée – "special" written the English way, without an accent. He thought the French expression "Brut sans année" was no match for such a subtle champagne… More than a hundred years later, the name of Bollinger’s key figure champagne still symbolizes both its expertise and its history.
