Bollinger unveils B16, a limited-edition Champagne born of a challenging vintage
Bollinger has released B16, the latest in its series of one-off cuvées shaped by atypical Champagne harvests. Crafted from the hot 2016 vintage, it follows B13 and 2003 by Bollinger, celebrating creativity and resilience in difficult years.
Bollinger has introduced another of its one-off vintaged cuvées that are a product of atypical harvests in Champagne, the third such wine released since the Millennium. B16, stylised as “An original creation shaped by nature’s challenges”, is elaborated from the very hot and difficult 2016 harvest, following in the steps of B13, and the initial such release ‘2003 by Bollinger’.
As Bollinger MD Charles-Armand de Belenet explains, what they have in common is that they are all made in years when the harvest is, for various reasons, not thought suitable to make the house’s flagship vintage release La Grande Année, which itself is usually re-released some years later as Bollinger RD [recently disgorged].
A lineage of exceptional years
In 2003, at the time the hottest, driest, earliest and because of devastating spring frosts in April, one of the smallest harvests in Champagne (5,000kgs/ha at Bollinger), the wine wasn’t released as Grande Année partly because of the small amount of material available, but certainly not because of the quality, which as anyone who has tasted it will attest, was high.
The 2013 harvest was in some ways at the other end of the vintage spectrum, being the last harvest in the region to start in late September, only opening around the 24th or as late as the 28th in some crus, and continuing into early October. Again, quality is not in question, but there was, for Bollinger, a lack of suitable Chardonnay to blend for La Grande Année and B13 was released in September 2021 as an all-Pinot, Blanc de Noirs.
A creative expression of 2016
The newly released B16 builds further on this winemaking freedom to make the best possible blend from the available materials, explains de Belenet. “In 2016 we had another very hot summer, and when we considered it, we decided we didn’t have enough good material to create La Grande Année.”
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But like 2003 and ’13 before, it was a vintage they wanted to mark in some way. “We decided to make something in line with the vintage but told the winemaking team it can be what you like, purely creative. While B13 was a Blanc de Noirs style, B16 is a blend [73% Pinot Noir/27% Chardonnay], and one that has no Aÿ fruit in it, which is very surprising for Bollinger,” he notes.
Crafted for balance and precision
“It’s an assemblage that’s based on a selection of our latest ripening cru, mainly Verzy, Verzenay, Tauxières, plus a little bit of Bouzy with the Chardonnay element mainly from the south-east facing top premier cru vineyard of Trépail, rather than the Côte des Blancs villages. And reflecting the warm harvest, it’s made in an extra Brut style (4gm/l dosage).”
With ever-warmer temperatures and other climatic extremes, “we need to create more and more such limited editions,” says de Belenet.
Freshness, purity and finesse
“B16 Reveals is driven by the terroirs of the Montagne de Reims and precise vinification that give it freshness, purity and complexity,” says head winemaker Denis Bunner. Forward, with a delicious purity of ripe sweet yellow fruit and a notably silky texture, it’s a fine addition to the range that is already showing beautifully.
Available from leading wine merchants with an RRP of €140/£125.
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