2018 Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut, Champagne, France

(94 Points) Originating from a hot and dry growing season—particularly from mid-June onward—during which harvest began as early as August 23 and lasted for a full two weeks, Bollinger’s 2018 La Grande Année, composed of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, was disgorged in March 2025 with a dosage of six grams per liter. The wine has turned out very well in the vintage context, presenting—unsurprisingly—a broader and more succulent profile than the racy, fine-boned renditions of 2014 and 2008. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of peach, yellow apple, and orange peel mingled with freshly baked bread and mango, it is medium- to full-bodied, ample and textural, with a generous core of fruit, animated by a pillowy mousse and laden with ripe yet vibrant acidity, carrying through to a long finish. It is slightly more expressive in magnum format, though in either case, it will benefit from a few years of post-disgorgement aging to fully unwind. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate