Tasting Notes
Richard Juhlin 92-94
The wine is almost completely dominated by the extremely exciting and rare Tauxieres Premier Cru, which is one of two villages classified 99% on the Grand Cru scale. Despite an impressive vineyard area of 237 hectares, it is extremely rare to come across champagnes dominated by this fantastic Cru. A cooler microclimate and a thinner soil layer with even more compact chalk than sunny Bouzy make the wines from here lighter and more elegant than Bouzy but stronger than Verzenay which is also part of this exciting Blanc de Noirs with predominantly base from 2017. Here is also a small splash of Avenay to give a little buttery roundness to the cuvee with its low dosage of 4 grams. The reserve wines that always come from magnum bottles under low pressure make up 48% from three vintages in 2016, 2009 and 2006. In total, half of the wine is made in oak barrels and the other half in steel tanks. The result is very beautiful and personal. The scent has features of lead pencil, juniper and freshly lacquered boat together with more classic coffee notes, rose petals, apricot and peach. The taste is vivid and multifaceted with a lively precision, lighter fruit aromas than you normally find in Bollinger’s wines. Even cassis is one of the more unexpected aromas in this finely tuned complex symphony. Very impressive and exciting champagne that really makes me want to taste more and that I will look out for to my private cellar.
Vinous 93
The NV PN TX 17, 100% Pinot Noir from Tauxieres, is the next wine in Bollinger’s new series of single-village Champagnes. Bright and punchy, the 2017 is redolent of pear, dried flowers, mint, chalk and sage. Aromatically, the 2017 could easily be mistaken for a Blanc de Blancs such is its purity, but the richness and resonance of Pinot are unmistakable on the palate. This is an especially, vinous, layered Champagne that offers striking interplay between its intense fruit and the mineral, saline and savory-laced frame that holds it all together. The only thing this could use is a bit more body, as it is a touch austere. Disgorged: February, 2022.
Robert Parker 92
From the commune of Tauxieres and the 2017 vintage, Bollinger’s new NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN TX17 exhibits aromas of crisp pear, orange zest and wet stones mingled with subtle hints of warm bread and dried fruits. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and fleshy, with tangy acids and impressive ripeness for the vintage, it concludes with an elegantly mordant finish. This doesn’t strike me as a year built to make old bones, but it should nonetheless enjoy over a decade’s evolution.
Anticipated maturity: 2021-2033
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