Collection: Bollinger | Champagne

Bollinger — Champagne

Bollinger is one of Champagne's most distinguished independent houses, founded in 1829 and still family-owned today. The house is known for a style that stands apart from many of its peers — full-bodied, complex and built for the cellar — achieved through a high proportion of Pinot Noir in the blend, the continued use of oak barrels for fermentation, and extended ageing on the lees that exceeds the minimum requirements of the appellation.

Bollinger's independence has allowed it to maintain traditional methods that larger, corporate-owned houses have largely abandoned. The house owns approximately 180 hectares of vineyards, supplying around 60% of its fruit requirements from its own estate — an unusually high proportion for a Champagne house of its size.

Why Bollinger Matters

Bollinger occupies a specific and well-defined position in the Champagne world: a house that prioritises structure, depth and longevity over immediate approachability. Its wines are not the lightest or most delicate in Champagne, but they are among the most age-worthy and complex. The R.D. — Récemment Dégorgé, meaning recently disgorged — is one of the most compelling expressions of extended-aged Champagne available, released after many years on the lees to reveal a depth of flavour that few other houses can match. Bollinger is also one of the few Champagne houses to have maintained a long-term cultural association of genuine significance, most notably as the official Champagne of the James Bond franchise since 1975.

The Range

Special Cuvée NV — The house's signature non-vintage Champagne and the benchmark for Bollinger's style. A blend dominated by Pinot Noir, with a significant proportion of reserve wines and partial oak fermentation giving it the characteristic richness and complexity that defines the house. Available in multiple formats.

Rosé NV — The rosé expression of the house style, combining power with red fruit freshness. Produced by blending still red wine from Bollinger's Pinot Noir vineyards into the base blend, giving it a distinctive depth and structure compared to many Champagne rosés.

La Grande Année — Bollinger's vintage Champagne, produced only in exceptional years. A wine of considerable complexity and cellaring potential, expressing the character of a single harvest through the lens of the house's distinctive winemaking approach.

R.D. — Récemment Dégorgé. The house's most celebrated wine and one of the most distinctive expressions in all of Champagne. Produced from exceptional vintages and aged on the lees for a minimum of eight to twelve years before disgorgement, R.D. reveals a depth, richness and complexity that is only achievable through extended contact with the spent yeast. A wine for serious collectors and those who want to understand what Champagne can become with time.

Winemaking & Style

Bollinger's use of oak barrels for the fermentation of reserve wines is one of the most distinctive aspects of its production. Where most Champagne houses ferment entirely in stainless steel, Bollinger maintains a stock of small oak barrels that impart subtle texture and complexity to the reserve wines used in the Special Cuvée blend. Combined with extended lees ageing and a high proportion of Pinot Noir, this gives Bollinger wines their characteristic weight, depth and capacity to age.

Cellaring & Serving

Special Cuvée is enjoyable on release and over the following five years. La Grande Année benefits from eight to fifteen years of cellaring in the finest vintages. R.D. is already at an advanced stage of development on release and can be enjoyed immediately or held for a further decade. Serve at 8–10°C in a tulip glass or white wine glass.

Food Pairing

Bollinger's full-bodied style makes it particularly well suited to food. Special Cuvée pairs naturally with oysters, seafood, charcuterie and soft cheeses. La Grande Année and R.D. can accompany more substantial dishes including lobster, roast poultry and aged hard cheeses.

Explore More

Browse our full Bollinger range below, or explore our broader Champagne collection including Moët & Chandon, Louis Roederer and Dom Pérignon.