A brilliant wine, Bollinger's 2013 Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Françaises is finer boned and more elegant than the powerhouse 2008, but it is still one of the most powerful, intensely flavored wines produced in the region. Wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, baking spices, orange oil and ripe stone fruits, it's full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit girdled by racy acids. Concentrated and vinous, it concludes with a long, saline finish. William Kelley. August 2022.

The 2013 Vieilles Vignes Francaises is a powerhouse. Deep in color, the 2013 is rich and ample in feel. Apricot, spice, orange jam, cedar, dried herbs, ginger, honey and leather all meld together in a VVF that is decidedly opulent and vinous, despite the cool season and harvest that took place on September 27, late by present-day standards. Sadly, production has decreased steadily since 2008. Accumulated drought has been a challenge. Those conditions are, of course, amplified by the walls of the clos in these two parcels and the naturally warm climate of Aÿ. I find the 2013 decidedly exotic and a bit on the heavy side. Those lucky enough to own it will experience one of the most distinctive wines in all of Champagne. Production was less than 1,000 bottles. March 2022.