New Release: The 99 Point 2014 Bollinger VVF - "pure happiness in a champagne glass" (RJ)
We are delighted to offer our allocation of the 2014 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises (VVF). A 99 point vintage for one of Champange – and the world’s – most elusive wines, this is a masterpiece in the making, ultra-collectable and utterly unmissable.
The VVF is special. It is made from a microscopic plot of ungrafted vines that escaped the ravages of phylloxera in the early 20th century. They produce tiny amounts of incredible juice and, in turn, one of the best and most desirable Champagnes that it is possible to buy in any given vintage. They also mean minuscule production and ensure this is one of Champagne’s rarest cuvees.
It is also set to get rarer, as these ancient vines die off, there will soon be an end to VVF production, meaning what little exists on the market will become even more treasured as the years go by.
It’s always superb, but even in this context, the 2014 stands out. For Richard Juhlin, it is “the perfect champagne in its style” and “combines the honeyed concentration of a Château d´Yquem with the buttery nutty power and sophisticated richness of a Montrachet from Comte Lafon”. He gives this “monumental” 2014 a rare 99 points. Antonio Galloni is just a point behind, for this “stunning, exotic beauty”.
As always allocations are small, even on release and they tend to be snapped up quickly. So please do let us know at your earliest if you would like any.
2014 Bollinger, Vieilles Vignes Francaises
£1,300 per bottle (1*75cl OWC) in bond – very limited quantities
99 points Richard Juhlin
How long will we be able to enjoy this treasure? You are well aware that the phylloxera louse can any day crawl under the gate and in a flash destroy the two fragile slabs of Clos Saint-Jacques and Clos Chaudes-Terres in Aÿ. This impermanence makes the wine even more treasured and unique, as if its stratospheric quality weren’t reason enough to hold the world’s finest Blanc de Noirs in high esteem. Tasted directly after the mellow La Côte aux Enfants from the same vintage, I was prepared for VVF to be beaten for the first time by its sibling wine from the same village. When I finished tasting it was clear that I had just tasted the perfect champagne in its style. The champagne combines the honeyed concentration of a Château d´Yquem with the buttery nutty power and sophisticated richness of a Montrachet from Comte Lafon. But my God, Juhlin, it’s Pinot Noir. Yes, but the fabulous creation is more reminiscent of the mentioned wines than of a big red Burgundy this time. I don’t really know why 2014 was so perfect for Bollinger. Perhaps one has become even more skilled at maneuvering all the details that give a perfect VVF, or does the old theory apply that naturally masculine Bollinger is often at its best in slightly lighter and elegant vintages? In any case, this is a colossal wine experience! The wine belongs to the small few who act with such self-evident weight that comments and comparisons feel redundant. The color is deep golden and the extremely small bubbles move slowly up through the glass. The bouquet is rich, dense and powerful like a rumbling thunderstorm in the distance. Filled with honey and hazelnut essence and screaming scent of honeysuckle. In the mouth you are met by an oily and creamy essence of dark fruit, 70% chocolate from Domori and licorice with the same grilled lemons and apricot marmalade I find in all Bollinger‘s wines from 2014. Monumental, long, dense and unreal wide like a parade street in Buenos Aires. Drink soon or wait ten years for the next phase. Just as with La Côte aux Enfants, there is a high risk of tunnel behavior for a few years. Right now pure happiness in a champagne glass. (2024)
www.champagneclub.com
98 points Antonio Galloni
The 2014 Vieilles Vignes Françaises is a stunning, exotic beauty. Silky contours wrap around a core of apricot, tangerine, orange marmalade, spice, ginger, dried flowers and marzipan. The 2014 is a Champagne of real textural breath and intensity. It’s a superb wine in a year that presented numerous challenges along the way. I would prefer to cellar this for a few years. In a word: fabulous. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. (2024)
www.vinous.com Drink 2026-2044
Offered subject to final confirmation. Available in the UK in 2-4 weeks. Offer expires 1st November 20204.
Get in touch
