This wine shows what larger formats, in this case magnum, can bring, with complex fruit confit flavours of peche des vignes and dried apricot. A bonny baby, still very tight, showing huge potential.

It might seem a bit surprising that Bollinger skipped the great vintage of 2006 for the more modest 2007. For me that choice is however quite logical since the Bollinger house style is much better suited to austere vintages than for fruit bombs. Here we have a classic and perfectly balanced Bollinger with deep layers and beautiful crisp apple acidity. Gorgeous balance between the dark and light as a perfect Ying and Yang marriage. Layers of dry cocoa, hazelnut fudge, dried apricots and juicy red apples dominate over a beautiful hint of forest aromas based on sous bois and mushrooms in the background. One of the three best champagnes from this vintage.

–champagneclub.com, Richard Juhlin

From a bottle disgorged in March 2017, Bollinger's 2007 La Grande Année is showing brilliantly, offering up a superb bouquet of lemon oil, confit citrus, almond paste, iodine, walnut oil and freshly baked bread. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, broad-shouldered and powerful in this frequently rather slender vintage, with excellent concentration, a deep and tightly wound core and a precise, chalky finish.

Bollinger's white-golden colored 2007 La Grande Année Brut is an assemblage of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from 14 crus (mainly Aÿ and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir and Avize, Cramant and Oger for the Chardonnay) that was entirely fermented in barrels and aged under natural cork for more than eight years (disgorgement date: November 2016). The wine displays a very clear, fine and complex bouquet of ripe (apricot) fruits and pink grapefruit along with chalky, toasty and almond/nougat notes. Highly elegant, fine and pure but complex on the palate, this is a full-bodied and well-structured Grande Année with a long, intense yet dry, salty, beautifully clear and cleansing finish with lingering citrus flavors and a persistent mineral structure. This 2007 is still young, but its elegance, finesse, freshness and promising complexity are fabulous. Drink now and over the next 12 to 15+ years. Tasted May 2018. - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate #237, June 2018

I loved the 2007 Champagne La Grande Année, which is based on 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Over 90% of this cuvée was sourced from Grand Cru sites, with the balance from Premier Cru villages. Vinified all in older barrels and aged 6 years in bottle on lees, it boasts a deep, rich, creamy style as well as full-bodied notes of ripe stone fruits, wood smoke, and spice. It has vibrant acidity, impressive length, and notable purity, all making for a classy, impressive Champagne that will keep for 10-15 years.

Disgorged June 2016. Tasted blind. Sweet and rich. I don’t think I’d guess it as Bolly on the nose. Then fairly dry on the end which might give it away. Lots of substance here. Firm and confident. Bone dry and rather demanding. Youthful. (JR)

70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. Mid gold, with a fine bead. Buttered brioche, mellow lees, with stone fruit and bruised apple. Great palate finesse with very subtle mousse, nice balance, and old-cream and brioche complexity. Long, with a vinous finish. Ready now and likely to drink relatively early. (TJ)