BOLLINGER

The 2004 Extra-Brut R.D. is a very pretty, understated Champagne that shows the more nuanced side that is typical of the vintage, while the signature Bollinger richness lies more in the background. That is the same impression I had last year, when I tasted the 2004 from magnum at the maison. Apricot, plum, hazelnut, chamomile, spice and dried flowers all open with a bit of aeration. The R.D. is not an obvious or overt Champagne, but it is quite beautiful. It will be interesting to see if a bit more richness develops post-disgorgement. The 2004 is 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay taken from 16 villages, 88% Grand Crus and 12% Premier Crus. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Drinking range: 2020 - 2034 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Nov 2020)

Big and round and almost peachy on the nose. Then dry and Bollinger-esque on the palate. Almost dried out on the end! Very apple-skin-like. Drinking range: 2017 - 2024 Rating: 17.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

A superb moment for this late-disgorged vintage Champagne. All the complexity and fruit are here, in the right proportions, on the nose and palate. Grilled peaches, grapefruit, lemons, hazelnuts, espresso and more. Super long, majestic and so rewardingly complex. Drink now. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Aug 2018)

The lovely nose of acacia blossom, toast and graphite leads to flavors of poached quince, fleur de sel, white cherry, lemon pith and almond skin in this dry and harmonious Champagne. Almost airy and ethereal in texture, yet the finely woven flavor range goes on and on, echoing on the finish. Disgorged June 2017. Drinking range: 2012 - 2034 Rating: 96 Alison Napjus, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2018)

Not surprisingly, everything about this wine is accentuated and demonstrative, visually, aromatically and also, crucially, in sheer flavour complexity terms on the stunning palate. With 3gm/L dosage, this is a thrillingly fresh wine. We tasted three different examples of dosage (0, 3 and 8 grams per litre of sugar) and it was clear that 3 was the most appropriate for this wine. The blend is 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. The colour is very pale gold for an R.D. and given its age, this is a very important sign for the future. Harmonious on the nose and very refreshing and bright on the palate, this is a wine that will appeal to fans of R.D. and also those who might have previously have thought this wine style too imposing and powerful. It is the completeness of this wine which impresses me most. Bollinger is refining all of its wines, from days gone by where the wines could have been marked down for being too muscular and woody. ‘Bollinger-style’ has both very positive and some mildly negative connotations. Today, with the recent vintage releases the wines show true Bollinger style, but with augmented finesse and refinement. Drinking range: 2018 - 2040 Rating: 19+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Mar 2018)

One of my most exciting wine experiences was when I first tasted 1975 Bollinger RD with my parents at their home. During yesterday's Sunday afternoon, I served them the latest edition of 2004 blindly. The 82-year-old's reaction did not allow for a wait. Mom immediately exclaimed "the same wonderful scent of chocolate and apricot like when we drank Bollinger RD in the 80's". So right she was. When Bollinger decides to launch the newest vintage of RD, the wine must have its distinctive autolytic character of freshly baked bread, chocolate, hazelnut and mushroom. That is at least the thought. I would like to say that the last vintage in 2002 did not have these features at the launch at all, but instead relied on an almost grassy elegance and refined acid structure in an remaining youthful attire. With 2004 it is different. It's precisely like this Bollinger RD should taste from the beginning. Nobody can be disappointed here. Perhaps, 2004, is not one of the most heroic vintages but on the other hand one of the most classic. The very essence of the RD concept is to try to capture a wine's optimal maturity along with maximum freshness. Unfortunately, I do not think life expectancy is as good as in the La Grande Année version, but I may be wrong. The intensity of the mature layers of dark chocolate, tobacco, black truffles from Vaucluse and a melancholy hiking in the moist autumn forest is, at least, impressive. The mousse may struggle to reach the surface of the glycerol rich essence of wine. Nevertheless, it tingles of lust on the tongue when stringency, chalk and jingling pure acids dance over the finish line. Rating: 96 Richard Juhlin (Mar 2018)