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. — 21 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2022 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Needs time/patience but shows pretty well currently if you're out of either/both. 6.3.26. — a month ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Omakase lalo — 7 days ago

Jean-Louis Carbonnier

9.3

From late 1990's; Premiere wine merchants, nyc — a month ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.8

Grad tommy — a month ago

Carter White

9.0

Red fruit, green, polished, balanced. — 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

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

This is a remembrance of Sofia & my trip to Franciacorta & visit to Ca’ del Bosco in 2015.

If Italy has a kind of equivalent to Champagne, it would be Franciacorta. This is not Prosecco. It is made in the traditional method.

It is a beautiful part of Italy with both Lake Garda’s, one smaller (closer) & one much bigger and is a summer haven.

Excuse the fussy pics. I bought a new iPhone 7 just before we left & it had a defective camera.

The nose shows fruit blossoms, pineapple, green, apple, golden apple, white peach, tropical melons, vanilla, frothy cream, some caramel, soft volcanics, chalk & spring flowers setting in greens.

The palate has nice, soft, mousse. Ripe fruits; fruit blossoms, pineapple, green, apple, golden apple, lemon, lime, white peach, tropical melons & mango. Vanilla, frothy cream, some caramel, soft volcanics, sea spray, saline, chalk & spring flowers setting in greens, beautiful, acidity, well balanced, nicely structured & toned with an elegant finish that last a full minute and lands on volcanics. — 19 days ago

Karen Tripson

9.2

Lovely bubbles! — 9 days ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Dark fruit. Brooding. A touch of butterscotch. Intense. Blocky — a month ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

KA

9.5

Del Friscos Double Eagle Steakhouse Denver — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

2022 vintage. 5.20.26. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.4

The fruit for “Pi” is sourced from Foillard’s oldest vines on Côte du Py. These vines are believe to be more than 100 years old. Popped an poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2014 “Pi” pours a deep ruby/purple color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of funky dark fruit: black cherry, purple flowers, a whiff of horse blanket, sous bois and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Beautiful stuff. Drink now through 2039. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2016 vintage. Decanted (little sed) and tasted after 30 mins and 2 hours. Medium body. Côte-Rôtie nose. Smoky, plummy, spicy with decent length of finish. Slightly lacking in terms of overall depth of impression but still very nice. 6.12.26. — 18 days ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.5

Showing incredibly well at the moment — 16 days ago

Damian

9.6

This is precise, acidic, long finish. Notes of citrus, green apple, salinity, toast and just right amount of dosage. — 7 days ago

Ivor

9.1

Best solution on a hot humid summer day. — 5 days ago

Eric Grasser

9.9

Very full and deep Napa expression. Black and blue berries, dried tobacco, Napa dust, sandalwood and floral accents. Extremely good — a month ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.7

Cata winegeeks cdjrz magnum
5to lugar — 2 months ago

katarina ammann

9.3

2017 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 'Cuvée Exceptionnelle' Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Rhône valley GSM. Deep ruby color, red fruits, dark fruits, and even blueberry. Tannins start quite acidic, but soften over time. Warm spices come out after about 30 mins. — 3 months ago