Bollinger

Das Champagner-Haus Bollinger zeichnet sich seit jeher nicht nur durch Champagner bester Qualität aus, sondern auch durch den Ruf einer unverfälschten Ethik und Traditionsverbundenheit. Zudem war und ist Bollinger, im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen prominenten Häusern, welche inzwischen zu großen Konzernen gehören, unabhängig und selbstbestimmend im Familienbesitz.

The company owns about 152 hectares of vineyards in the best crus, including around Aÿ, Bouzy and Verzenay. 60% of its vineyards are considered Grand Cru and another 30% are Premiere Cru. Bollinger is thus - unlike many other winemakers - in the enviable position of being able to obtain more than two-thirds of the best vines for the production of the 1.5 million bottles/year from its own vineyards.

The focus is on the high quality Pinot Noir vines, with only the must of the first pressing (cuvée) being exploited for Bollingers Champagne. The must of the second pressing (Taille) is sold to other winemakers. Only in the Chardonnay grape, in the best vintages, Taille is sometimes recycled. The first fermentation of the wines, sorted by cru, takes place in barriques and stainless steel tanks.

Even a real cooper is among the employees of the house Bollinger. Part of the cooper's craft is to know the specific characteristics of the woods used: "Not all oak is the same. For example, oak from the Limousin region gives a wine different flavor notes during aging than, say, oak from the Nevers region. In addition, the proper care of oak barrels before and after use is a complex undertaking.

Reserve wines, on the other hand, are not stored in large barrels but, sorted by cru and vintage, in individual magnum bottles corked under light pressure.

Furthermore, Bollinger insists that a good champagne should rest particularly long on the yeast in the bottles after the second fermentation. While 15 months are customary for non-vintage champagnes in many other houses, non-vintage champagne rests for at least three years at Bollinger. Vintage champagnes rest on their lees for at least five to eight years, deep in the cool cellars of the house.

Das Zusammenspiel erstklassiger Trauben mit äußerst aufwändiger Kellertechnik bringt geschmacklich sehr komplexe Bollinger-Champagner hervor, welche bei internationalen Degustationen regelmäßig sehr hoch punkten. Die Herstellung von Champagner war und ist ohnehin ein aufwändiges, mühseliges und teueres Unterfangen für alle Winzer in der Champagne. Es gibt nur wenige Häuser wie Bollinger, die noch einen Schritt weiter gehen und sich selbst zusätzliche Arbeit, strenge Regeln und hohe Kosten auferlegen.

Bollinger offers enthusiasts an interesting selection of different champagnes:

ImageThe Special Cuvée represent the traditional flavors of the house. They are fermented malolactically in stainless steel tanks. Predominantly made from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vines, they contain a skilful blend of wines up to 10 years old which have been aged in oak barrels and/or magnum bottles. In these non-vintage Champagnes, the grape blend is 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier. After the second fermentation, these rest on their lees for at least three years. The Special Cuvée are powerful, full-bodied champagnes with special fruit notes and a long finish. They are excellent with any food.

In particularly good vintages, Bollinger produces a vintage champagne called Grande Année. This champagne rests on its lees for at least five years after the second fermentation in the bottles.

Grande Année Rosé is a vintage champagne to which a little still red wine from vineyards around Aÿ has been added. This evokes a soft pink color in this champagne. In addition, this particular blend gives the rosé additional soft fruit flavors and more body.

ImageA speciality of the house Bollinger is the so-called R.D. Champagne. Introduced to the range around 1960 by the former head of the house Bollinger, Christian Bizot (1928-2002), this is a vintage Champagne that benefited from at least eight years of proper aging on the lees, but was 'Recently Disgorged' (R.D.) or only recently disgorged. The date of disgorgement is noted on a label on the back of the bottle. These R.D. champagnes have additional aromas and taste a certain youth - despite their age.

ImageThe Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises (old French vines) champagnes represent a rarity. Bollinger owns three small parcels around Aÿ where very rare, original Pinot Noir vines still grow, which survived the devastating Phylloxera plague. They are still grown exactly as they were in the days of the monk Frère Oudart (this method of cultivation is called en foule) and are tended with traditional tools. It is virtually the development of a special kind of 'Ur-Champagne', which is produced only as vintage champagne. In 1975, Bollinger presented to the world for the first time a Vieilles Vignes Françaises vintage champagne 1969s.

Da Champagner nach langer Lagerung beim Degorgieren einen leichten Schock erleiden, lagert Bollinger seine Champagner nach der endgültigen Verkorkung mindestens weitere drei Monate. Erst dann werden sie ausgeliefert.

Historically, the prestigious house Bollinger is highly interesting for historians, as its roots are deeply rooted in the history of Champagne. The British author Cyril Ray published an extensive work called 'Bollinger'. Anyone who takes a look at this book will quickly notice how closely the rise of the house Bollinger is interwoven with the eventful history of Champagne.

The real origin of the house Bollinger is deep in the history of Champagne around 1600 with a noble family called de Villermont. Previously based in the area around Troyes, then capital of the Champagne region, the House de Villermont later moved to the wine region around Chalons on the Marne. Over the years, their land holdings increased (partly through marriage with other noble families in the area).

ImageWhen an Athanase-Louis-Emmanuel de Villermont (1763-1840) saw the light of day, the de Villermont family was already a prestigious owner of precious vineyards around Aÿ, Bouzy, Cuis and Verzenay. Athanase-Louis-Emmanuel was the younger son of the family and was not considered a future landowner, but was instead destined for a career in the French Navy. At the time, the battle for the independence of the United States was raging against the English. France sided with the United States. As an officer, Athanase-Louis-Emmanuel experienced not only the cruel fevers that ravaged the crews of ships, but also naval battles against England off the east coast of North America. On the side of the land troops of American legends like Washington and Lafayette, he supported the Americans' struggle for freedom. For example, he was present when Admiral de Grasse inflicted a defeat on the fleet of the English at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. When he returned to France, he briefly served in the Royal Artillery, but returned to sea. This time, however, he served the Russian Navy as a captain. Author Cyril Ray notes that this career decision proved very advantageous more than twenty years later, namely when the Russian army pursued Napoleon all the way to France in 1814. The Russian army showed its appreciation for his service in the Russian Navy at that time by leaving at least Aÿ unharmed. Later, after his service in the French Naval Academy of Angoulême, Athanase-Louis-Emmanuel was elevated to the rank of admiral and thereupon returned to his vineyards and other estates, now in need of care. However, there was a lack of finances. Open trade was also problematic for the nobility.

Meanwhile, there was a capable young man named Joseph-Jacob-Placide Bollinger (1803-1884) in the wine trade. He came from the then Kingdom of Würtemberg (Ellwangen) and was also from the nobility. He did not have his own vineyards, but the wine trade appealed to him at a young age. In 1822, at the age of 19, he decided to join the then young Müller-Ruinart company (the owner, by the way, was the same Bavarian émigré Anton Müller who, together with the widow Clicquot, introduced the Rüttelpult and Remuage). Müller had shortly before married a lady with the prominent name Ruinart and had previously worked for many years as an extremely capable and dedicated cellar master in the Clicquot house. Müller was very enterprising and successfully promoted his champagne in the most important markets.

ImageJacob Bollinger served him extremely successfully as a sales representative in Germany for seven years in the following period. How Admiral Graf von Villermont came into contact with Jacob Bollinger is not clearly known. However, De Villermont recognized the talent and experience of the still young Bollinger. At the same time, the count had enormous wine resources, but without being able to exploit them optimally as a nobleman in the trade. Therefore, in 1829, he founded a company together with Jacob Bollinger and Paul Renaudin (another former trade representative of Müller-Ruinart). An important condition of the count was that his noble name should not appear anywhere in the trade. Paul Renaudin left the young company a few years later.

In the meantime, Jacob Bollinger became known as Jacques Bollinger and successfully continued trading the Count's wines. In 1837, he married the 20-year-old Mlle. Louise-Charlotte de Villermont, daughter of the Count de Villermont. Author Cyril Ray notes that Jacques Bollinger was later more often referred to as Bollinger de Villermont. In 1854, the German Jacob (Jacques) Bollinger officially became French by naturalization. He expanded the Count's estate with new vineyards around Verzenay. Jacques and Louise-Charlotte Bollinger had a daughter (Marie) and two sons (Joseph and Georges). Sons Joseph and Georges successfully continued to run the business and acquired additional vineyards around Bouzy, Louvois, Tauxieres and Verzenay. In addition, during their time, the house Bollinger was honored as an official supplier of the royal court in England.

Image1909 bis 1911 waren Jahre tiefsten Unmutes unter den Winzern der Champagne. Zum einen kam es zum Aufstand der Winzer in der Region der Aube, wo nach einem Erlass (délimitation) den dortigen Winzern die Zugehörigkeit zur Champagne abgesprochen werden sollte. Zum anderen stellten 1909 und 1910 zwei äußerst schlechte Jahrgänge für die Winzer dar. Die Unzufriedenheit vieler Winzer wurde zusätzlich durch die Einfuhr billiger, fremder Weine aus anderen Regionen Europas durch manche skrupellose Häuser in der Champagne geschürt. Letztlich gipfelte die berechtigte Empörung der Winzer am 12. April 1911 in einem großen Aufstand. Weder die königlichen Dragoner noch Truppen aus Reims konnten den wütenden Weinbauern Einhalt gebieten. In blinder Wut fielen sie auch über die Stadt Aÿ her und zerstörten nicht nur skrupellose, geldgierige Häuser, sondern auch viele rechtschaffene. Um das Haus Bollinger herum wüteten die Weinbauern, angesehene Champagner-Häuser standen in Flammen, und große Bestände von Wein wurden auf den Strassen ausgekippt. Bemerkenswerterweise wurde das Haus Bollinger jedoch von der wütenden Masse verschont und blieb völlig unversehrt. Selbst in ihrer Wut respektierten die Weinbauern die traditionsreiche und altehrwürdige Ethik des Hauses Bollinger.

Another Jacques Bollinger, the grandson of the original legendary Jacques Bollinger, took over in 1918. At the age of 24, he had just finished his service in the French Air Force and had been awarded several medals for his bravery in the First World War (Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre with palms). He conscientiously devoted himself to the reconstruction, maintenance and expansion of the vineyards of the house Bollinger. When World War II broke out, he was called back into service in the French Air Force, but was in failing health. During the German occupation, Jacques Bollinger was mayor of Aÿ. This already demanding office was undoubtedly particularly hard during the occupation for this remarkable man, whose health was visibly deteriorating. He died in 1941 at the age of only 47. It was his last wish that his wife, Elisabeth ('Lily') Bollinger (1899-1977), should continue the company after his death.

Elisabeth ('Lily') de Lauriston-Boubers came from a wealthy, noble family (related to the Marquis de Boubers). Her father Oliver de Lauriston-Boubers was an officer in the cavalry. In 1923, she married Jacques Bollinger. After years of working together at Bollinger, their childless marriage ended in 1941 with Jacques' untimely death.

The widow Lily Bollinger took over the reins of the company during the occupation by the German Wehrmacht. The Wehrmacht confiscated not only the building of the house Bollinger, but in the same course 178,000 bottles of the champagne in stock. Champagne continued to be produced despite the difficult circumstances. Since gasoline was very scarce at the time, the industrious young widow undauntedly swung into the saddle of her bicycle every day and cycled to work in her vineyards.

It was also the wish of the Wehrmacht that the trade should continue. However, there was a considerable shortage of manpower due to the war. Thus, Bollinger succeeded in convincing the Wehrmacht that many of their former employees would have to be liberated from German captivity to resume work in the vineyards. On August 22, 1944, the American '3rd Army' under General Patton liberated the area around the house Bollinger. After the end of the war, 'Widow Lily' began to exchange remote vineyards for others closer to home and to strategically buy up other vineyards in her area (around Ay, Mutigny, Grauves in 1955 and 1968, as well as around Bisseuil in 1961). At the same time, she pushed marketing and doubled the house's sales. At the English royal court, Bollinger became the official house champagne under George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. Even 'Agent 007', the famous (not quite!) fictional charmer and hero James Bond, drinks Bollinger Champagne. In 1976, the French state awarded the Ordre National du Merit (National Order of Merit) to Lily Bollinger. Despite great success and countless international honors, Lily remained humble and continued to ride her bicycle tirelessly through her vineyards well into old age. In 1971, she transferred the management of the company to her nephew Claude d'Hautefeuille and died in 1977 at the age of 78.

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Claude d'Hautfeuille (1913-2000), son-in-law of Madame Therese de Valbray (sister of Madame 'Lily' Bollinger), modernized the company and bought more vineyards around Champvoisy. At the same time, he promoted the international development of the Bollinger brand.

Image1978 to 1994, Christian Bizot (1928-2002), son of the younger sister of the widow Lily Bolliger (Guillemette Bizot) and sixth president of the house Bollinger, led the fortunes of the company. Christian Bizot joined Bollinger in 1952 at the age of 24. Bizot was not only considered particularly skilled at making the best champagnes, but also developed additional specialties such as the remarkable R.D. champagnes (see above). He strictly rejected 'practical compromises' (quantity instead of quality) of commerce and focused exclusively on quality and individuality of his champagne.

At the beginning of the 90s, when champagne came under more and more criticism in terms of quality, it was Bizot who created the 'Charter of Ethics and Quality' in 1992. As a statement of the already traditional honesty and openness of the house Bollinger, he underlined this credo, for example, by attaching a label with valid information on all Bollinger champagnes without vintage (Special Cuvée). This brought about absolute transparency, because now everyone could see which grape varieties were used in the blend or whether the blend had been stored long enough. This is important data that often remains in the dark with many other champagnes.

The Charter of Ethics and Quality states, mutatis mutandis:

*The name Bollinger is carried only by those wines which were also pressed by the house Bollinger.
* 70% of the vines come from our own vineyards.
* The house Bollinger uses primarily the yield of the first pressing (cuvée) for the production of its champagnes (temporary exceptions are allowed only for particularly high quality vintages of the Chardonnay grape, where the waist can also be used for production).
* Each cru, as well as each grape variety represented in the cru, is observed during the first fermentation.
* The first fermentation of the reserve wines as well as the wines destined as Grande Année are aged in oak barrels.
* Bollinger blends are mainly made from grapes from Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites. The "predominantly" means concretely: 100% for Grande Année Champagne and 80% for Special Cuvée. * Blends consist primarily of Pinot Noir. For Grande Année approx. 65%, for Special Cuvée approx.60%.
* Reserve wines are stored in magnum bottles. The storage in the bottles also requires natural corks.
* Before disgorgement, Bollinger Special Cuvée champagnes must rest on their lees for at least three years. Vintage champagnes (Grande Année) require at least five years of aging on the lees. R.D. Champagne requires at least eight years of this type of aging.
After disgorging, the champagne must rest for at least three months before it can be shipped.

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Label on the back of a Bollinger Special Cuvée from the American market with appropriate references from the charter as they relate to this particular Champagne.

Christian Bizot proved that unconditional quality and a sense of tradition can still be successfully implemented in large companies today. It is therefore no wonder that Christian Bizot is deeply revered by countless winemakers and champagne fans worldwide, even after his death.

This brings us to the seventh president of the house Bollinger: Ghislain de Montgolfier is also a nephew of the widow 'Lily Bollinger'. In 1969/70 he acted as assistant director of the vineyards of the house Bollinger. In 1994, he was appointed President of the House Bollinger and continues to this day to manage the House Bollinger according to its ancient tradition.

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