Bollinger R.D 2002 | Wine Investment Offer

Tasting Notes

"Super fresh, this is striking given the 10 years in the cellars; it has a fine citrus nose - plenty of lemon, grapefruit, yellow chalky notes, some lighter floral elements too. The palate is super dry (dosage at 3-4g) and there's a silky, sherbet-like texture, smooth, fine and long. The citrus flavours give way to the driving surging acidity, thunderous acidity, really driving and powerful. The finish twists very slowly through to light-toasted cashew fruit flavours, but lemon citrus prevails. This is thrilling Champagne. Disgorged 22nd October, 2013. Drink from 2016."

James Suckling | Score: 99 | 9th May 2014

Estate Overview

Bollinger has land-owning roots in the Champagne region dating as far back as the 16th century although the house as we know it today was officially established only in 1829, by Paul Renaudin and Jacques Bollinger. In the late 19th century the prestige image of the brand began to develop and it even became the official supplier to the British court, receiving the Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria. Unusually for a Champagne house, Bollinger have been grape growers as well as producers from the beginning. The house charter states that 70% of grape supply must always come from the firm's own vineyards, defining the standards of excellence that are synonymous with the Bollinger name.

80% of the harvest is fermented in oak barrels, making the finished wines well-suited to extended ageing and contributing body and depth of flavour. There are only two types of blends produced, both pinot noir-dominated: the non-vintage Special Cuvée is the expression of the Bollinger house style, while the vintage-dated Grande Année, produced only in exceptional years, is designed to express the inherent character of the vintage. R.D (Recently Disgorged) is the same blend as Grande Année, kept on its lees and disgorged much later. It is the R.D that leads the way from investment perspective as only a few thousand bottles are produced each vintage. Prestige Cuvee Champagnes have far outperformed their vintage counterparts, with less production but still accounting for around 35% of value to their top import markets.

Past Performance of Key Vintages

Prices and performance based on 12x75cl case format.

The 5 year growth for back vintages of Bollinger RD has been impressive and considering the quality of the 2002 vintage, we fully expect it to follow suit.

Older vintages of the Bollinger RD have witnessed remarkable growth over the past 5 years, the table above suggests that the vintages begin to see far more pronounced appreciation in the twilight of their life cycle as supply is inevitably restricted.

How does the 2002 compare to similarly rated vintages?

The numbers stack up favourably for the 2002 and with a limited supply at UK market best, we are expecting our allocation to sell out immediately.

This is our final Champagne offer of the week. For those that are yet to take up a position in the 2002 strategy, we would encourage you to contact your portfolio manager or register your interest in receiving more information.