Ming L

9.4

The nose bursts with ripe yellow peach, mandarin, and dried pineapple, layered with brioche and a hint of white flowers. The palate is plush yet electric, with creamy texture quickly cut by vibrant lemon zest and a light salinity. The finish is precise and long. — 16 days ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.1

Air France Lounge LAX - pretty good/to excellent. Brioche, marzipan. Quite amazing what Air France does compared to other airlines. — a month ago

Clarence Poh

9.0

hampagne Dom perignon 2015, across 3 days

Day 1
Nose is tight shows citrus, yeast, white flowers,
Palate citrus, lemon, lemon peels, grapefruits, roasted nutty finish, such as hazelnuts, almonds, honeysuckle, yellow flowers, pastry
Structure 
M Body, M+ acidity, M+ finish

Day 2
im getting more pronounced fruits, like peach and apricots, orange, tangerine, strawberries, pastry, butter, toast, salinity, wet stones, honey toast, creamy, roasted hazelnuts and almond, jasmine flowers, peony flowers
structure
Dry
M +Bodied
M +Acid
Long persistent finish

Day 3 
baked orchard fruits, orange, peach, necatrine, with jasmine flowers, rainfall, wet stones, cream, butter, brioche, roasted hazelnuts, almonds, pineapples, melon, smooth and integrated, rich creamy, buttery, nutty, savoury
M+ bodied,
M acidity,
Long finish — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Very pretty color of peach with a salmon hue.

Strong nose of apples, citrus, peaches, yeast, light bread and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and tiny bubbles.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, over ripen strawberries, apples, limes, yeast, sea salt, brioche, spices, minerals, light earth and cardamom.

Long spicy finish with limes and grapefruits.

This 14 year old Rosé Champagne is drinking beautifully already, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Elegant, spicy and rich. Fruity and nicely balanced, complex and engaging.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 95 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and better when not too cold.

A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Tuna Avocado Tartare.

A blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay, with 5% red wine. Disgorged in 2020.

12% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2006 Comtes de Champagne pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of white peach, lemon curd, white flowers, lightly toasted brioche with chalk and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and creamy. This is delicious and fabulously balanced CdC. Drink now through 2036. — 4 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Light amber. Showing secondary notes- dried apricot, honey, brioche. Good tension still and reasonable fizz. For my palate slightly past the best bottles I’ve had of this — 5 months ago

with Paul, Matt and 1 other

Mark S.

9.2

Citrus, brioche, yeast, white flower. Chalk and mineral. Nuts Sweetness M- Acidity M++ type. 12% Piper Heidsieck Rare Millesime 13 @44000, AD, 92 — 8 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV – Champagne AOC, France 🇫🇷

Overview
One of Champagne’s enduring benchmarks, Special Cuvée combines approximately 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Meunier, with a significant portion of reserve wines contributing depth and consistency. Rich, layered, and unmistakably Bollinger, it delivers remarkable complexity at a price point that remains accessible compared to many prestige bottlings.

Aromas & Flavors
Golden apple, ripe pear, citrus zest, baked brioche, roasted nuts, and subtle spice unfold in layers. Notes of fresh bread dough and orchard fruit intertwine with hints of honey and toast.

Mouthfeel
Vibrant and energetic with a creamy mousse and impressive depth. A delicate kiss of yeast adds texture and contrast, while the wine’s concentration and freshness remain beautifully balanced through the finish.

Food Pairings
Lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken, truffle dishes, aged Comté, oysters, or simply enjoyed as a celebratory aperitif.

Verdict
A richly textured and multi-layered Champagne that continues to justify its reputation as one of the region’s benchmarks. Complex, expressive, and consistently rewarding, it offers a level of sophistication that punches well above its category.

Did You Know?
Unlike many large Champagne houses, Bollinger ferments a portion of its wines in old oak barrels and maintains an extensive reserve wine program, helping create the signature richness and depth that define Special Cuvée.

🍷 Personal Pick
Few non-vintage Champagnes deliver this combination of richness, complexity, and value. The layered fruit, subtle autolytic character, and vibrant texture make Special Cuvée one of my favorite benchmark Champagnes and a bottle I never hesitate to revisit. — 24 days ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Deep gold in color.

Strong nose and full bodied with medium plus acidity and tiny bubbles.

Dry on the palate and complex.

Showing yellow apples, ripe citrus fruits, spices, sea salt, herbs, minerals, yeast, earth and light brioche.

Long finish with limes and light almonds.

This is a delicious 22 year old Champagne. Rich and fruit forward. Well balanced, complex and entertaining.

Drinking beautifully now, and much better after 90 minutes of airtime. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years, and better when not too cold.

Loved how the bubbles integrated with the wine. Vibrant and engaging.

Wine Spectator 97 points. Wine Advocate 95 points.

I've had this vintage a few times before, and it is very consistent.

A great sipping wine that also paired nicely with food.

A blend of 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay. Aged for 15 years on its lees.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$550. — 2 months ago

Mark S.

9.0

Yeast Chalk mineral. Brioche. Citrus. Slightly Liquor like. Rich Minerally. Slightly smoky. Balanced. Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne Blend @, JL, 260426 — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Enjoying this knowing my Cornhuskers already punched their ticket to their first ever Sweet 16 last night in one of the games of the tournament so far.

At this point, it’s a “pick’em” between the Bérêche Brut Réserve and Caillez-Lemaire’s “Éclats” for the title of, “Kline Fam house Champagne”. They just delivery in the way I want/trust/expect and can afford. This is the November 2025 disgorgement. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The Brut Réserve pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of apple, pineapple, raspberry, lemon curd, brioche, marzipan, and a mix of chalk and limestone minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and laden with minerals. So easy to love. Drink now but you can hold for many years if you want as well. — 3 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Had the 15 Salon two-weeks ago. After, I had this cuvée and their 2018 Delamotte. Not really a fair order. So tonight, thought I’d give it one. Been awhile since I enjoyed this cuvée.

In the rare case, Salon does not declare a vintage, this is where that fruit goes. So…when & if, buy this n/v.

Nice mousse, crispy, racy acidity. Lime pulp with zest, lemon pulp, green/golden apple, white stone fruit, some yellow peach, kiwi, tropicals, frothy, steamed whole milk, caramel, vanillin to vanillin, excellent white spice, palate penetrating volcanic minerals, limestone marl, brilliant chalky powder with bits, some yeastiness, baguette crust, brioche, toffee & butterscotch notes, almost a sweetish herbaceous quality, daffodils, white flowers set in greens with a nicely rounded, knitted, balanced, spot on tension and a 90 second, elegant finish that long sets on spice & volcanic. — 4 months ago

John Willison

9.3

From Magnum. Peach, dried berries, brioche. — 6 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

HAPPY 4TH!
TIME TO CELEBRATE!

Light golden in color.

Nice nose of citrus, lemons, green apples, yeast, light brioche and minerals.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity and medium sized bubbles.

Dry on the palate with limes, light grapefruits, herbs, spices, yeast, earth and sea salt.

Long finish with limes and light marzipan notes.

This is a delicious Champagne. Still very young, but already very approachable. Well balanced and complex. Tangy and entertaining.

Good right off the bottle, and better after 45 minutes of airtime.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years, and showing potential to become a 94 point wine.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.

A blend of 53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay. Aged for 9 years on the lees.

12% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$100. — 10 hours ago

Conrad Green

9.6

A gorgeous nose. Soft sweet corn, brioche, confit lemon, limestone and a light saltiness. In a lovely place right now — a month ago

with Rick and Gregg

Mark S.

9.4

Lemon yellow. Fine bubbles. Elegant aroma with something in the deep area. Creamy. Aged flavor. Changed a lot. Dried brioche came out later and quite impressive. Louis Roederer Cristal 12 @9750, wine plus - vic, 260510 — 2 months ago

Willem Booij

9.5

Paaslunch op huis tuin en keukenniveau

Soms klopt alles. Gisteren was zo’n wijnmoment, vandaag was het weer zo’n moment waarop smaken, gezelschap en een glas uitzonderlijke champagne perfect samenkwamen.

In het glas: Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François 2008, een champagne met klasse, precisie en diepgang. Rijp en gelaagd, met tonen van geroosterde noten, citruszeste en subtiele brioche.

De mousse verfijnd, de afdronk eindeloos. Voor mij is deze champagne geen aperitief maar dit is een hoofdrolspeler.

De pairing?
Oesters, puur, zilt en perfect in balans met de frisheid.

Tartaar van wortel, sjalot, cornichon en kappertjes met sriracha-mayo, spannend en licht pikant, prachtig gedragen door de structuur van de wijn

Asperges met mousseline, gerookte zalm en Hollandaise, romig, rijk en precies waar deze champagne zijn diepte laat zien

Een paaslunch die nog wel even blijft hangen. De chef van de Kwalitaria was in vorm 😉

— 3 months ago

Ming L

8.9

The nose shows fresh apple and pear, with a subtle, fleeting hint of brioche. The palate is defined by a crisp, direct attack that yields to a somewhat firm, fruit-driven structure. Fine lively bubbles.

Not my favorite entry level NV Champagne, but it’s quite pleasant. — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Been a minute since I’ve had Ruinart. Especially, a Blanc de blanc. From 375ml.

The mouthfeel, rich with soft mousse. Slightly bruised golden apple, touch of apple cider, yellow pear, ripe-juicy yellow peach, juicy pineapple, tropical melons, green caramel apple, brioche-baguette crust, frothy cream, soft, white spice, vanilla-vanillin, saline-sea spray, dry, volcanic minerals, dry limestone marl, crumbled-dry chalk, yellow flowers framed in white, spring flowers in greens, pleasant, soft acidity and well balanced, mid toned/structured, elegant finish that lasts nearly a minute and long sets on beautiful minerality. 91+

The top left cave picture tells you why no other region can replicate that kind/much chalkiness in wine. The roots swim it. For me, there is no real substitute. — 4 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Interesting vintage bubbly. 50/50 Blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Dark golden color. Yeasty aromas of mushroom, burnt caramel and orchard fruit. Flavors of bruised apples and pears, mushrooms, caramel sauce, hazelnut, quince and brioche. Hint of salty lemon zest on the long and drawn out finish. Quite fresh tasting despite its age. Lively bubbles and creamy mousse. Quite complex and well developed. Might be a bit past its prime but still delicious. Thanks for bringing this New Year’s Day bubbly, Ron B! — 6 months ago