Description
La Grande Annee Rose is an extension of the Grande Annee by the addition, at blending, of a red wine from one of the HouseÍs emblematic vineyards, La Cote Aux Enfants, located in the village of Ay. This plot of Grand Cru, measuring less than one hectare, is only used for red when the grapes are perfectly ripe. Made exclusively of Grand Crus and Premier Crus from Champagne, the grapes selected are from the cuvee to keep nothing but the best juice. 23 crus make up the composition of the Grand Annee Rose, of which 73% are Grand Crus and 27% are Premier Crus. The first fermentation was done in small oak casks (205, 225 and 410 litres), lot by lot, cru by cru, grape variety by grape variety. This allows Bollinger to use a very strict selection process. Bollinger only uses old casks (5 years old or older) to ensure that neither tannin or oak flavours are imparted to the wines. This method increases both the aromatic complexity and the ageing capacity of such wines. Grande Annee Rose ages in the cellars under natural cork. After bottling, the second fermentation and the ageing in the cellars is done using a real cork stopper, which ensures a better barrier against oxidisation than the crown cap. This process, quite unique in champagne, is a guarantee of freshness and allows the aromas to keep their bouquet and clarity. The intense colour is due to an addition during initial blending of 7 to 8% red wine, made with grapes from La Cote Aux Enfants.