Champagne Bollinger was established in 1829 by Jacques Bollinger and to this day is still family-owned. Benefitting from ownership of 164 hectares of vineyards in the finest Premier and Grand Cru sites the highest quality fruit is secure, the majority of which is Pinot Noir. Bollinger only uses the cuvée (first press) which gives a purer and finer must. Vinification is done by varietal and by cru delivering an impressive collection of base wines to make up the blend of Bollinger Special Cuvée and Bollinger Rosé. As well as this, a unique collection of 600,000 magnums of reserve wine are stored in the cellars in Aÿ under natural cork. These are skilfully blended by Chef de Cave Gilles Descôtes to make non-vintage blends of distinction. La Grande Année is produced in exceptional years interpreting the vintage in the style of Bollinger. Very old oak barrels are used to vinify the wines encouraging complexity and breadth without imparting an oak character. Extended ageing and incredibly careful handling make this one of the most sought-after prestige cuvées in the market.