Antonio Galloni 95

Bollinger’s 2004 Brut La Grand Annee is a beautiful wine with a lot of vintage character, but the style is a bit less oxidative than Bollinger fans are likely to expect. Pears, hazelnuts, spices and crushed rocks all flow through to the tense, vibrant finish. It will be interesting to see if the 2004 puts on weight in the bottle, as so many wines from this vintage have. Today, it is bright, linear and quite pretty. Green apples, pears and flowers all add lift on the close. [Antonio Galloni, 05/01/2013]

Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029

Wine Advocate 94

The 2004 Grande Annee Brut was disgorged in November 2013 and offers a clear, very refined, and complex though still closed bouquet with fruity aromas of fresh and stewed apples, yellow grapefruit, kaki, walnuts, tobacco, herbal tea, nougat and spicy flavors; everything is discreet here, subtle, perfectly melted together and smoky, very smoky. On the palate, this Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend wine is highly complex and elegant, firmly structured and quite long. This is an excellent Champagne. [Stephan Reinhardt, 21/12/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020

Vinous 94

(disgorged January, 2013): Light, bright gold. Powerful orchard and pit fruit aromas are complemented by smoky lees, iodine, chamomile and buttered toast. At once fleshy and energetic, offering deeply pitched poached pear, peach pit and brioche flavors and a suave floral element. Finishes smoky and very long, with mounting spiciness and lingering floral and vanilla notes. [Josh Raynolds, 11/01/2013]

JancisRobinson.com 17/20

Disgorged September 2012. Tasted blind. Looks,
and tastes, relatively youthful. More mineral nose. Very fresh palate. Lots of
zest, almost citrus. Long and satisfying. [01/04/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2017-2025