Released today is the 2014 vintage of Bollinger’s Vieilles Vignes Francaises. Made in tiny quantities and utterly unique, Vieilles Vignes Francaises stands in a class of its own. The latest vintage of this highly sought-after Champagne has been highly praised by the critics. Richard Juhlin gives it 99 points and Antonio Galloni rates it 98 points, calling it “in a word: fabulous”.
Vieilles Vignes Francaises comes from two tiny grand cru plots of old, ungrafted Pinot Noir vines in the village of Ay. The vines are planted using the layering method known as provignage. This method, although traditional in Champagne, has been entirely superseded by more modern methods elsewhere. In 2005, one of the three plots used for this cuvee succumbed to phylloxera, making the wine even rarer than before.
The base wine for Vieilles Vignes Francaises is fermented in old oak foudres, giving roundness and texture that enhance the high level of concentration of the grapes. The wine then undergoes long lees ageing of over seven years, before further maturation in bottle. The result is a Champagne renowned for its extraordinary richness and complexity.
2014 was cooler than other recent vintage-quality years in Champagne. For producers such as Bollinger who favour a fuller style, this gave welcome balance to the wines. Vieilles Vignes Francaises is particularly elegant and nuanced this year.
This is an excellent vintage of one of Champagne’s most collectible wines.
Sign up to receive Offers and our updated Wine Lists