The 2008 Champagne R.D. Extra Brut is chiseled, powerful, and packaged with a chalky mineral texture. Made from 70% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay, with 3 grams per liter dosage, it pours a bright straw yellow hue, while its aromatics are more mineral-tinged and feel a touch more noble and upright in character. Aromatically, it opens to notes of toasted almond, preserved Meyer lemon, brothy saline, and vibrant fresh fruit. Displaying tension and grace, it has the richness of Bollinger but is more upright, with an electric mineral energy that courses through the finish, which lasts for days. Mouthwatering and long, it’s a stunner. It needs more time to harmonize all its components, but this is a wine to cellar for the ages, and I think this is going to be a vintage of RD we talk about for a very, very long time. Cellar it if you can and drink 2026-2056. Disgorged December 2022. Located in Aÿ, Bollinger was founded in 1829. This year, former cellarmaster Gilles Descôtes passed away after having stepped down from his position in 2022. Denis Bunner, who had worked as Descôtes’ assistant cellarmaster for the past ten years, has taken over the role of his longtime colleague. To mark the 200th anniversary of the house, they have several projects in the works scheduled for completion in 2029, not only to commemorate the occasion but to carry the house into their next chapter. Construction is underway to renovate the Maison Deuil, the long-time private residence on the property, into a 20-room hotel along with a restaurant, which is sure to significantly impact the tiny village. In September of 2023 they attained B Corp Certification, which focuses on social and environmental standards. A signature of the house is that they have their own cooperage on site to build and maintain their barrels. Gael Chaunut took over the position from Denis Saint Arroman as head cooper for the house in December of 2020. All the wood is sourced from their property in the forest of Cuis. As négociants, they purchase 60% their grapes and own 179 hectares of planted vineyards. Sixty percent of their production is dedicated to Pinot Noir, with 25% to Chardonnay and the remainder to Meunier. This year is the second-ever release for the La Côte Aux Enfants, which is the second single-parcel bottling from the house and completes the collection of Pinot Noir Champagnes alongside the PN Series and Vieilles Vignes Françaises. Stylistically, the Vieille Vignes Françaises remains the richest and most powerful wine in the range, with an emphasis on the concentration of its fruit from the ungrafted vines of Clos Saint Jacques.

Bollinger’s 2008 R.D. is a powerful, vinous Champagne. Apricot, dried pear, tangerine oil, hazelnut, dried flowers, chamomile and brioche all race across the palate. The 2008 boasts notable depth and textural intensity, with a feeling of phenolic, almost tannin-driven grip from the Pinot that propels the finish. At times the R.D. is quite exotic, even if there is a good kick of energy from the bright, salivating acids and low dosage. The 2008 R.D. is very much a Champagne for the dinner table, a wine that benefits immensely from aeration. In 2008, the blend comprises fruit from 18 villages, 71% Pinot Noir, mostly from Aÿ and Verzenay and 29% Chardonnay, mostly from Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. Dosage is 3 grams of dosage. I would give this a few more years in bottle to fully come together. Disgorged: October 28, 2022.

Disgorged in October 2024 with a dosage of three grams per liter, the 2008 Extra-Brut R.D. is superb, offering a bouquet of Granny Smith apple, pomelo and almond paste, mingled with white sandwich bread and oystershell. The medium- to full-bodied palate reveals a deep, vibrant core of fruit, underpinned by racy acidity and framed by high levels of structuring dry extract that assert themselves on the sapid, precise finish. This is a brilliant wine, built to age gracefully on its acidity, and it stands as one of the greatest achievements of the vintage. Its lower dosage, to my palate, also gives it the edge over La Grande Année in terms of energy and aromatic definition.