Bollinger
R.D. (Récemment Dégorgé)
Est. 1829France
About
Bollinger is one of Champagne's last great independent family houses, founded in 1829 and producing wines of a powerful, refined and complex style that has remained consistent across generations. The house's 180 hectares of vineyards — 85% Grand and Premier Cru — supply the majority of its fruit, and its commitment to oak barrel fermentation, extended lees ageing and the luxury of time gives Bollinger wines a density, texture and longevity that sets them apart in Champagne. The R.D. — Récemment Dégorgé — is among the most celebrated expressions of extended-aged Champagne in the world.
Regions
Champagne
History
Founded in 1829, Bollinger has been making Champagne with a powerful, refined and complex style for nearly 200 years. The house owns 180 hectares of vines, 85% Grand and Premier Cru, farmed across seven vineyards: Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois and Verzenay for Pinot Noir; Cuis for Chardonnay; and Champvoisy for Meunier. Two plots — Clos Saint-Jacques and Chaudes Terres — have never succumbed to phylloxera. These ungrafted vines, tended entirely by hand using provignage, produce the exclusive Vieilles Vignes Françaises cuvée. La Grande Année vintages with exceptional ageing potential are held further in the cellars to become the R.D. — Récemment Dégorgé — one of the most celebrated extended-aged Champagnes in the world.
Philosophy
The Bollinger style is built on five principles: the house vineyards, Pinot Noir, magnums of reserve wines, oak barrels, and time. All wines are aged on the lees for two to three times the appellation minimum. If a harvest does not reach vintage standards, Bollinger waits — quality always prevails over quantity.
Winemaking
Winemaker: Émilien Boutillat (Chef de Cave from October 2026; succeeds Denis Bunner)