Champagne Bollinger launches La Grande Année 2018

Champagne Bollinger, in the words of Irving Berlin, has been puttin’ on the Ritz, as it launched its latest vintage prestige cuvée, La Grande Année, at the iconic Ritz Londonl. It was the first-ever private takeover of The Ritz Restaurant by any company, which has previously only ever closed doors for the royal family, Champagne Bollinger welcomed distinguished guests from across the wine and hospitality industries for an evening of culinary excellence. 

Partnering with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts for the dinner, guests were treated to a six-course gastronomic masterpiece menu curated by Executive Chef John Williams MBE, whose culinary leadership has earned The Ritz Restaurant its two Michelin stars. Accomoanied by meticulous planning by Simon Girling, Director of Food & Beverage at The Ritz London.

Starting off with Dorset crab, crème fraiche and Imperial Caviar, the menu captured the elegance you would expect from both The Ritz London and Champagne Bollinger. Dishes included egg custard with Parmesan and truffle, Suffolk Lamb, stuffed courgette flower, and finished off with a Brillat-Savarin cheesecake with pear. Each course was paired with a selected wine or Champagne, so guests sampled La Grande Année 2018 on the evening in context – in standard bottle, en magnum and en Rosé  – as well as other mystery wines and special cuvées.

Made exclusively from Grand and Premier cru grapes, La Grande Année 2018 exemplifies the traditional expertise of Champagne Bollinger. Vinified in oak barrels, sealed with natural cork, this Champagne has been patiently waiting in Bollinger’s chalky cellars for ten years.

Oak vinification adds layers of complexity to the wine through gentle micro-oxygenation – a process that imparts an extraordinary capacity to age and evolve, especially for the high percentage of Pinot grapes, which epitomises Bollinger's distinctive style. After a prolonged rest on its lees, each bottle of La Grande Année is riddled and disgorged entirely by hand. Here, the bottles are gently and gradually moved to remove the sediment and guide it into the neck of the bottle.

At the launch Victoria Carfantan, Director of Champagne Bollinger UK & Global Partnerships, commented: “The launch of Bollinger La Grande Année reflects a shared dedication to excellence, craftsmanship and education within the culinary and hospitality sectors, values we are proud to celebrate through our partnership with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, which operates under the presidency of Chef John Williams and the patronage of His Majesty The King.”