Launch 2013 Bollinger ‘La Côte aux Enfants’ – from the vineyard whose history is still being written!

On October 5, La Côte aux Enfants Champagne 2013 will be launched at Systembolaget. A unique vintage champagne with historical significance for Champagne Bollinger. Only 180 bottles are released in the temporary range.

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Legendary Grand Cru vineyard

On the outskirts of Aÿ is the legendary Grand Cru vineyard La Côte aux Enfants. Between 1926 and 1934 Jacques Bollinger bought up all the land in La Côte aux Enfants from a large number of growers in Aÿ and created a monopoly vineyard. In total, the area is only 4 hectares with a sun-drenched side that is extremely well suited for red wine production, as well as a lesser-known cooler back side in the north-west. The vineyard stands out clearly in the rolling wine landscape with its distinctive limestone cliff. Even as the rock gossips about the soil, it also provides a protected location, which gives the grapes a high degree of maturity and a power and fullness in the wine that is unique in the district.

Since 1934, Bollinger has made the most sought-after red wine in the entire region from here. In 2012, Bollinger decided to create a champagne from the same area and the otherwise hidden northwest side. La Côte aux Enfants Champagne is Bollinger’s first single-vineyard wine and joins the house’s pinot noir collection, along with PN and Vieilles Vignes Françaises.

2013 – The year of contrasts

Vintage 2013 was characterized by a series of odd weather conditions. It was a rainy spring, which meant later flowering than usual. In contrast, it was a very hot summer – the sunniest ever in Champagne – with scattered local thunderstorms. Continuous rain and parasite infestation in mid-September raised concerns about the harvest. But despite the difficult conditions, Bollinger managed to manage the ripening of the grapes with great precision throughout the harvest, resulting in excellent quality, especially from the Grand Cru vineyard in Aÿ.