Bollinger - Extra Brut Champagne R.D. 2008 (Pre-arrival) (750ml)
James Suckling: 99 Points
2 Mar 2023 ? Amazing aromas of sweet uncooked pie crust with almonds. Then you smell dried apples apricots and pineapple. Grilled fruits too. Full-bodied. So tangy and energetic with sizzling acidity and creamy tannins. Flavorful and lightly oxidized at the finish. Smacking my lips. Agile. Ginger and spices. A touch of bitter complexity with some salinity. Extreme character that grabs your attention. 13 years and six months aging on the lees with cork. 3 grams dosage. 71% pinot noir and 29% chardonnay. Don?t serve too cold. Drink or hold.
Wine Advocate: 98+ Points
When I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later we have the answer and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022 it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit orange peel freshly baked bread subtle hints of fino sherry wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate it's medium to full-bodied with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style the most obvious comparison is with the 1996 but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage.
Jeb Dunnuck: 98 Points
The 2008 Champagne R.D. Extra Brut is chiseled powerful and packaged with a chalky mineral texture. Made from 70% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay with 3 grams per liter dosage it pours a bright straw yellow hue while its aromatics are more mineral-tinged and feel a touch more noble and upright in character. Aromatically it opens to notes of toasted almond preserved Meyer lemon brothy saline and vibrant fresh fruit. Displaying tension and grace it has the richness of Bollinger but is more upright with an electric mineral energy that courses through the finish which lasts for days. Mouthwatering and long it?s a stunner. It needs more time to harmonize all its components but this is a wine to cellar for the ages and I think this is going to be a vintage of RD we talk about for a very very long time. Cellar it if you can and drink 2026-2056. Disgorged December 2022. Located in Aÿ Bollinger was founded in 1829. This year former cellarmaster Gilles Descôtes passed away after having stepped down from his position in 2022. Denis Bunner who had worked as Descôtes? assistant cellarmaster for the past ten years has taken over the role of his longtime colleague. To mark the 200th anniversary of the house they have several projects in the works scheduled for completion in 2029 not only to commemorate the occasion but to carry the house into their next chapter. Construction is underway to renovate the Maison Deuil the long-time private residence on the property into a 20-room hotel along with a restaurant which is sure to significantly impact the tiny village. In September of 2023 they attained B Corp Certification which focuses on social and environmental standards. A signature of
Wine Spectator: 97 Points
This focused Champagne is all about the graceful definition of power with an up-front austere edge to the steely acidity which is softened by the fine plush mousse and well-integrated with the rich profile. Toasted hazelnut crystallized honey peach skin and nectarine flavors expand on the palate accented by hints of ground ginger oyster shell and preserved lemon with a racy streak of salinity that drives the mouthwatering finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged October 2022. Drink now through 2038. 300 cases imported.
Vinous: 96 Points
Bollinger?s 2008 R.D. is a powerful vinous Champagne. Apricot dried pear tangerine oil hazelnut dried flowers chamomile and brioche all race across the palate. The 2008 boasts notable depth and textural intensity with a feeling of phenolic almost tannin-driven grip from the Pinot that propels the finish. At times the R.D. is quite exotic even if there is a good kick of energy from the bright salivating acids and low dosage. The 2008 R.D. is very much a Champagne for the dinner table a wine that benefits immensely from aeration. In 2008 the blend comprises fruit from 18 villages 71% Pinot Noir mostly from Aÿ and Verzenay and 29% Chardonnay mostly from Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. Dosage is 3 grams of dosage. I would give this a few more years in bottle to fully come together. Disgorged: October 28 2022. - By Antonio Galloni on May 2022
