Bollinger Brut Champagne La Grande Année 2012

98 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(tasted in 2020 in Australia; 65% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay; 78% grand crus, 22% premier crus; 21 crus, mainly Ay and Verzenay for pinot noir, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry for chardonnay; exclusive use of the cuvé; fermented entirely in barrels [average 20 years of age]; aged under natural cork; riddled and disgorged by hand; 8g/L dosage; disgorged August 2019). The bombastic complexity that defines Bollinger rises to a grand and flamboyant crescendo in the mighty 2012 season. True to the vintage, it presents a medium straw hue, deeper in colour, tone and mood than the dynamic 2008 before it or the 2013 or 2014 after it. The pure red and black cherries of ripe pinot noir from the grand slopes of Ay are masterfully toned by the perfume and energy of the north-east-facing hillside of Verzenay, backed by the citrus zest of Le Mesnil and Oiry chardonnay. It's simultaneously ripe, juicy, zesty and tense, with fruit presence of tantalising beauty seamlessly fused with fine chalk minerality and an acid line of sensational drive,yet at every moment perfectly ripe and effortlessly integrated. Fruit rightly takes a confident lead here, with the fig, spice, honey and roast almond of barrel fermentation and bottle age welling up in a rising background chorus. The modern era of Bollinger's attentiveness in the vineyards and cellar characterises a style ever more pure and seamless. This does nothing to diminish the multifaceted layers of signature Bollinger complexity. Indeed, it somehow manages to achieve precisely the opposite; magnifying and focusing its myriad details with greater clarity than before. This serves to present the mood of the season with more articulate typicity than ever, while celebrating all of the rumbling depth and power that we love of Bollinger. While it won't live as long as the enduring 2008 (no other will) it achieves equal heights of fantastic line and incredible length. The result is comsummately 2012, emphatically Bollinger and gloriously, irresistibly delicious. (Edition VII; 2024)"

98 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2022).

97 points and '#10 Top Wine of 2020,' Wine Spectator: "[$175 list] This goes from zero to 60 right out of the gate, with an intense spine of acidity driving tightly meshed flavors of crushed black currant, ground coffee, candied grapefruit peel and toasted almond. The profile expands on the palate, carried by the fine, raw silk–like mousse. Richly aromatic and expressive from start to lasting, spiced finish. Disgorged July 2019. Drink now through 2037. 850 cases imported. Highly Recommended. (12/15/20)"

97 points La Revue du Vin de France: "In white, La Grande Annee (2012) imposes its breed and beautiful dimension on the palate: here too, we're only at the dawn of its expression, and this is a wine that will gain in depth with time. (2022)"

97 points Anne Krebiehl, MW (Falstaff): "An intense creaminess is immediately apparent, alongside salty oyster shell, subtle smokiness and freshly cut Golden Delicious flesh. More air brings an overtone of salted caramel, of butterscotch. The palate is wonderfully defined in its salty, curvy body, which leans into its sinuous shape with gusto. The texture is creamy, but there is a vein of finest freshness that makes this exuberant, precise, inviting, joyous and celebratory. The finish is long and creamy. Alcohol 12.5%. (Jan 2022)"

95-97 points Essi Avellan, MW: "The 2012 marks the second La Grande Année vintage bottled in the new bottle shape, whose narrow neck is to induce something similar to the magnum effect. Upon launch, the 2012 has 10 months of post-disgorgement time and the wine is showing elegantly restrained and youthful. On the nose the old-oak character is less prominent than in most other Bollinger vintages and the deliberate oxidation is well under control and in a supporting role. The fine, cool and pure fruitiness is at the fore with lovely spicy and nutty notes supporting. Lemony fruitiness with yellow apple and ripe apricot as well as some tropical fruit emerging in the glass. On the palate the key word is balance, the wine is very complete with freshness, intensity, refined tension and chalky salinity. 8g/l dosage is spot on. Still young but has the building blocks of longevity. For me similar in quality to the 2008 but this will come around and peak earlier. (Feb 2020)"

96 points/'Top 100 Wines of 2021,' Wine & Spirits: "A selection of pinot noir from Aÿ and Verzenay (65 percent of the blend) with chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry, this wine ferments and ages in oak barrels and large casks, followed by extended aging on the lees in bottle. There’s an immediacy to its bubbles, and a scent that is immediately awesome—lemon blossom, lemon verbena and something exotic, like Buddha’s hand. The flavors are classical, expanding outward as the wine develops with air, potent, salty and long. Once it’s gone, you can smell the ghost of oak in the empty glass, even if it wasn’t overt in the wine. This is a structured and long-lived 2012. (Dec 2020)"

96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "[$175 list] Still young for a wine of this caliber, this rich Champagne has an immense future ahead of it. The freshness of the wine will mature into the rich toastiness that is such a hallmark of this brand. Oak fermentation and aging have added to the great promise of this fine wine. Drink from 2022. Alcohol 12%. (Dec 2020)"

95 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "Disgorged in July 2019, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année is showing well, offering up an incipiently complex bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, orange oil, toasted walnuts and dried apricot that's still quite reserved with less than a year on cork. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, the 2012 is blockier and broader-shouldered than its 2008 predecessor, with a weightier and even more concentrated palate built around a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish that carries appreciably dry extract. This isn't quite as elegant as the exquisite 2008, but it is a superb effort and obviously built to age. Drink: 2024-2050. (Mar 2020)"

95 points Tom Hewson (TimAtkin.com): "65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay. Fermentation in old oak. Grande Année has leapt into the Prestige category not only in price, but also in quality lately. Bollinger's savoury, broad style makes a great foil for the immediacy and ripeness of 2012, offering up toasted nut, coffee and sourdough complexity over the vivid, ripe Seville orange and dried peach fruit. Formidable length and concentration, but with more finesse than 2008. (Dec 2022)"

95 points James Suckling: "This makes a bold statement. Ripe, powerful and creamy with concentrated red-berry, nectarine, grapefruit and cashew aromas. I love the juiciness and brightness of this wine, which has such a long, graceful finish. Only 65% pinot noir, but it tastes like a lot more. 100% barrel fermentation and maturation. Drink or hold. (1/5/22)"

94.3 points CellarTracker.com community score.

94 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "[$175 list] The 2012 Grande Année is vibrant and wonderfully nuanced. Citrus peel, orchard fruit, brioche, dried flowers and chamomile are all finely knit in a Grand Année built on energy and persistence more than size. Readers will find a restrained Grand Année in 2012. There is plenty of the textural richness that is such a signature of the house style, but I am also struck by the wine's freshness. Best of all, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate. It is quite expressive today, even in the early going. Drink: 2020-2030. (Nov 2020)"

93+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar) (Sep/Oct 2020).

93 points Simon Field, MW (Decanter) (Feb 2020).