Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises
ボランジェ ヴィエイユ・ヴィーニュ・フランセーズ
Bollinger
Pinot Noir
About this wine
Vieilles Vignes Françaises is one of the rarest and most mythical cuvées in all of Champagne: a 100% Pinot Noir blanc de noirs made exclusively from two tiny ungrafted Grand Cru plots in Aÿ — Chaudes Terres and Clos Saint-Jacques — that miraculously survived the phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century. Grown the traditional way using provignage (layering), these pre-phylloxera vines yield only a few thousand bottles in the rare years the wine is produced. Madame Lily Bollinger first commissioned it in 1969 to mark her 70th birthday, and it has been a collector's obsession ever since its commercial launch in 1974.
This is a collector's and connoisseur's wine, not an easy entry point — extremely rare, expensive, and intense. Approach it as a once-in-a-lifetime tasting experience rather than an everyday Champagne.
Sommelier's Note
"There is no other Champagne quite like it — pre-phylloxera Pinot Noir from ungrafted vines is essentially extinct everywhere else in the region, which makes every bottle a taste of a Champagne that no longer exists."
Food Pairings
Its power and salinity call for equally intense dishes: aged cheeses, truffle, roasted game birds, or simply savored on its own to appreciate its evolution over hours.
When to drink it
Once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, collector tastings, and the most special of gifts.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Pinot Noir
- Style
- Sparkling
- Alcohol
- 12%
- Price Range
- $1,500-4,000+ depending on vintage and rarity (reference conversion from average international market price)
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Pinot Noir from two ungrafted Grand Cru plots in Aÿ, Clos Saint-Jacques (21 ares) and Chaudes Terres (15 ares), both owned by Maison Bollinger and farmed using the pre-phylloxera provignage method. Annual production is typically only a few thousand bottles, and the wine is only made in select declared years.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is Vieilles Vignes Françaises so rare?
- It comes exclusively from two tiny ungrafted Grand Cru plots in Aÿ (Clos Saint-Jacques and Chaudes Terres) that survived the phylloxera epidemic, together covering only about 36 ares and yielding just a few thousand bottles in the years it is made.
- What does 'ungrafted' mean and why does it matter?
- Almost all Champagne vines are grafted onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstock. These two plots survived on their own original French roots, making the wine a rare taste of pre-phylloxera Champagne viticulture.
- When was Vieilles Vignes Françaises first made?
- Madame Lily Bollinger first had it produced in 1969 to celebrate her 70th birthday, with commercial release beginning in 1974.
- What food pairs with such an intense Champagne?
- Aged cheeses, truffle, and roasted game birds suit its power; in Japanese cuisine, dishes with concentrated umami such as turtle soup (suppon) or matsutake dobin-mushi are excellent matches.
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Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
ボランジェ スペシャル・キュヴェ
Bollinger Special Cuvée
SparklingPinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Meunier
Bollinger Special Cuvée is the quintessential expression of the house style, representing the benchmark for non-vintage Champagnes. Composed of over 60% Pinot Noir, it offers a powerful, sophisticated structure balanced by the elegance of Chardonnay and the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier. A significant portion of reserve wines, aged in magnums for several years, is incorporated into the blend, bestowing a unique complexity, depth, and a signature toasted, brioche-like character. It is a wine of remarkable consistency and intensity, reflecting the uncompromising quality standards of the Bollinger estate.
ボランジェ R.D.
Bollinger R.D.
SparklingPinot Noir · Chardonnay
Bollinger R.D. (Récemment Dégorgé) is an iconic vintage Champagne that undergoes exceptionally long aging on its lees, far exceeding legal requirements. Disgorged only shortly before release, it achieves a unique balance between intense aromatic complexity—characterized by notes of honey, dried fruits, and toasted brioche—and remarkable freshness. This wine represents the pinnacle of the Bollinger style, showcasing the power of Pinot Noir and the precision of extended maturation.
ボランジェ ロゼ
Bollinger Rosé
SparklingRoséPinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Meunier
Launched in 2008, Bollinger Rosé is the house's non-vintage pink Champagne, built on the same backbone as Special Cuvée but deepened with roughly 5-6% still red wine from Pinot Noir grown in Aÿ and Verzenay. The blend of about 62% Pinot Noir, 24% Chardonnay and 14% Meunier spends around three years on lees, drawing 85% of its fruit from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards. The result is a structured, food-friendly rosé with real tannic grip rather than a delicate, fruity style.
ボランジェ ラ・グラン・ダネ
Bollinger La Grande Année
SparklingPinot Noir · Chardonnay
La Grande Année is Bollinger's vintage prestige cuvée, produced only in exceptional years from a blend of Grand and Premier Cru fruit (roughly 60-65% Pinot Noir, 35-40% Chardonnay depending on vintage). It is entirely fermented in old oak barrels (around 20 years old) rather than steel, then aged under cork on its lees for at least eight years — more than twice the appellation minimum — giving it exceptional complexity, aging potential, and a signature toasted, mineral character alongside stone-fruit and dried-fruit notes.
ボランジェ ラ・グラン・ダネ ロゼ
Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé
SparklingRoséPinot Noir · Chardonnay
La Grande Année Rosé is the rosé expression of Bollinger's vintage prestige cuvée, made only in the same exceptional years as La Grande Année. Roughly 62-67% Pinot Noir and 33-38% Chardonnay from around 19 Grand and Premier Cru crus (mainly Verzenay, Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Chouilly, and Cuis) form the base, fermented entirely in old oak barrels. A distinctive addition of about 5% still red wine from the Côte aux Enfants plot in Aÿ gives it its red-fruited character and pale, coppery-pink hue. Madame Bollinger was long reluctant to make a rosé at all, which is why this bottling was reserved for only the finest vintages and marked with the vintage seal from the start.