The 2008 Bollinger Grande Année is a Champagne blend that exemplifies the quality and tradition of Bollinger, a renowned producer from the Champagne region of France. This vintage, bottled in Bollinger’s new, narrower-necked 1846 bottle, promises a slower-evolving wine, adding to its cellar potential. With an alcohol content of 12.0% and closed with a cork, this wine has been praised across multiple prestigious wine publications.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded this Champagne an impressive 97+ points, noting its complex aromas of "crisp orchard fruit, ripe lemons, honeycomb, warm biscuits, dried white flowers and a delicate top note of walnuts and fino sherry." Reviewer William Kelley emphasizes the wine’s full-bodied and vinous character with a "beautifully refined mousse" and "superb concentration at the tightly wound core." Kelley highlights its aging potential, stating that the real excitement will come with a bit more bottle age.
Decanter also rates this Champagne highly with 96 points, remarking on the dominance of Pinot Noir (71%) in the blend, mainly sourced from Aÿ and Verzenay. The wine imparts "bright apple and spice notes and a hint of buttered toast," possessing a creamy yet lively texture with a long finish. Decanter suggests it is a wine that will age for decades.
Wine Spectator, matching Decanter’s 96-point score, describes the wine with "enticing hints of toasted cumin, ground anise and graphite" alongside flavors of "crushed black currant, poached apricot, grilled nut and lemon curd." Reviewer A.N. notes its harmonious and mouthwatering nature, recommending it be enjoyed now through 2033.
Wine Enthusiast’s Roger Voss gives it 95 points, calling it Bollinger’s equivalent of a Vintage Champagne, capable of aging extraordinarily well. Voss suggests the wine will be at its best from 2022 onwards.
Jeb Dunnuck praises the 2008 La Grande Année with an exceptional 99-point rating, describing it as "another brilliant 2008" with "awesome notes of stone fruits, white flowers, honeysuckle, and an incredible, liquid rock-like minerality." Dunnuck applauds its precision, purity, and focus, deeming it one of the finest versions ever produced, with a potential to keep for 3-4 decades.
Wine & Spirits assigns it 97 points, noting its "dark intensity" and "coolness of Bollinger’s deep aging cellars," blending 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay. It’s described as "massive and still youthful," with flavors that have "rounded into a sphere."
Jasper Morris, from Inside Burgundy, highlights the quality resurgence in the 2008 vintage, giving it 96 points. He notes the wine’s "racy pear fruit" and "oxidative complexity," praising its balance between power and finesse.
Overall, the 2008 Bollinger Grande Année stands out as a superb, long-aging Champagne with excellent reviews from multiple respected sources.