Hailing from a year that is described as 'extraordinary' in the Wine Advocate's vintage guide, and achieving its second-highest score ever from that same publication, the newly released 2008 Bollinger R.D. is sure to be a head-turner.
What makes R.D. so special is the 15 years of lees ageing in Bollinger’s cellars. It's then disgorged late, which keeps it fresh, and only offered to the market when it is ready to drink.
What makes R.D. so special is the 15 years of lees ageing in Bollinger’s cellars. It's then disgorged late, which keeps it fresh, and only offered to the market when it is ready to drink.
This particular vintage is the first R.D. to have been aged in the '1846' Bollinger bottle, which offers beneficial properties for the quality of the wine, using the shape of the bottle to create a 'small magnum' with a narrower neck and a wider base. This slows down the oxygen exchange to give a better quality wine with a longer ageing potential.
"brilliant... extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade", 98+ Points - William Kelley, Wine Advocate
This particular wine is one of the last remaining to be released from the revered 2008 vintage, which has only increased the excitement surrounding its launch.
Arriving this spring, availability is limited and we expect this to be very popular, so do let me know if you would like to order whilst stocks remain.
"brilliant... extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade", 98+ Points - William Kelley, Wine Advocate
This particular wine is one of the last remaining to be released from the revered 2008 vintage, which has only increased the excitement surrounding its launch.
Arriving this spring, availability is limited and we expect this to be very popular, so do let me know if you would like to order whilst stocks remain.
Bollinger R.D 2008
£1200 (6x75) IB
98+ Points | William Kelley, Wine Advocate
When I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage.
£1200 (6x75) IB
98+ Points | William Kelley, Wine Advocate
When I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage.
