2014 Bollinger La Grande Annee Champagne

Powerful and complex this is a stunning rendition of Bollinger’s La Grande Annee

A blend of 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay sourced from 19 different crus, mainly Ay and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir whilst for the Chardonnay Chouilly and Oiry. Fermented entirely in aged oak barrels.
A fine, satiny mousse slowly recedes to reveal a pale straw gold tinged coloured base that has a nibble stream of delicate bubbles flowing through it. The nose is magnificent, complex aromatics of baked bread, yeast lees and brioche soar from the glass with cashew, subtle citrus, hazelnut and ginger ensuing. On the palate Bollinger’s hallmark richness and power are shaped by vivid acidity with mouth filling flavours of baked bread, citrus, yeast lees and cashew trailed by some brioche and almond like characters. Dry chalk tinged finish with a long airy yet sculptured aftertaste.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 12%

Other Reviews....
Offering up complex aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, frangipane, walnuts, dried white flowers and subtle hints of iodine, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année is medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an elegantly fleshy core of fruit that's underpinned by racy acids and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long, chalky finish, this is a charming but precise Grande Année that's more giving and demonstrative than its immediate predecessor, the 2012, but which attains a very similar level of quality in a more challenging vintage—testimony to the serious viticulture that underpins Bollinger's contemporary excellence. Drink 2021 - 2045.
95 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Mar 2022)

The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive.
The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. Drink 2024-2044.
98 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous

Racy acidity drives this mouthwatering Champagne, enlivening the rich panoply of flavors. Features a fine and creamy mousse that's still a lively springboard for aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, glazed tangerine, roasted hazelnut, ground coffee, pickled ginger and white blossoms. Long and satiny, with minerally salt and chalk notes gaining momentum on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged July 2021. Drink now through 2037.
97 points
Alison Napjus - Wine Spectator

With the hallmark Bollinger richness that is derived from fermentation in wood and a high percentage of Pinot Noir in the blend, this grand wine is ripe, full of apple and spice flavors. It is drinkable now, but still young. Keep until 2024.
97 points
Wine Enthusiast

This classic blend of pinot noir and chardonnay (61/39 per cent) is drawn from 19 crus, the base wine fermented in oak on tirage until disgorged October ’21. Superb wine, with ultimate balance between the robust pinot noir and airy freshness of the chardonnay; great length. Drink until 2024.
98 points
James Halliday's Top 100 Wines of 2022

The 2014 Champagne La Grande Annee Brut is 61% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay, with 7 grams per liter dosage, and sees more fruit coming from Verzenay. I loved this wine last year, and it did not disappoint at this tasting either. Perfumed and mineral-tinged notes of saline and lemon custard lift from the glass, and it’s medium to full bodied on the palate, taking on a more focused and linear feel while remaining quite powerful, with salty minerality. I love the tension this brings, with a long, persistent spine of acidity, and it’s aging at a very slow rate. Drink 2024-2044. Disgorged in February 2023.
96 points
Audrey Frick - JebDunnuck.com