Premiere – Bollinger ‘PN VZ 19’ showcased through Bollinger savoir-faire. Connoisseurs will recognise the texture of this wine, yet they might be surprised to discover what makes Bollionger so special. [read the full champagne story]
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
PN VZ19: A NEW EDITION OF PINOT NOIR, BY BOLLINGER
Each new edition of the Bollinger PN cuvée brings with it a singular and contemporary vision of the Maison’s terroir and expertise, acting as a symbol of the union between tradition and innovation. Today, Bollinger welcomes a new edition into their range: PN VZ19. The base year? 2019. The principal cru? Verzenay. The result? A Blanc de Noirs made from 100% Pinot Noir, designed to make terroir the star of the show.
Pinot Noir: a pillar of the Maison Bollinger style
Pinot Noir is a maestro. It conducts the Maison’s cuvées and its finest vintage wines. It has an iconic flavour profile—recognisable whatever it has been blended with—and its creamy texture increases both the effervescence and ageing potential of Bollinger’s Champagnes. PN is a meticulous, profound, characterful Blanc de Noirs with the maturity that comes from long ageing. A pillar of the Bollinger style, the Maison has produced a blend of exceptional Pinot Noirs all crafted to work in aromatic harmony with the principal cru and base year for this edition. Each and every bottle of Bollinger PN contains all the hallmarks of the Maison’s inimitable savoir-faire. PN VZ19 is the latest demonstration of this.
‘This cuvée, made entirely from Pinot Noir, is part of what makes up the essence, the DNA, of our Maison: it represents a singular vision of our trademark grape variety as well as the uncompromising work we have invested in fulfilling a mission that has been inspiring us since 1829, the quest to become creators of style.’
Charles-Armand de Belenet
Managing Director Champagne Bollinger.
The Bollinger style, with each new edition
Every one of these new interpretations represents Bollinger’s vision of Pinot Noir and its terroirs. Each new cuvée—the union of a base year (2019) with a blend of terroirs (predominantly Verzenay) and reserve wines—brings new properties to light, revealing unexpected nuances and unique sensory expressions in a fresh demonstration of our expertise and savoir-faire. Once again, PN VZ19 is a celebration of the exceptional.
NEW EDITION: PN VZ19
- The blend for this edition: 100% Pinot Noir
- Principal Cru: Verzenay, blended with other villages including Aÿ, Avenay, Louvois, Mutigny and Tauxieres.
- Base year: 2019
- Oldest wine in the blend: 2009
- Dosage: Moderate, 6g/l.Ageing: Cellar aged more than twice as long as stipulated by the rules of the Appellation.
PN VZ19: a reinterpretation of Pinot Noir’s freshness and finely hewn structure
For the most part, PN VZ19 began its life in one of the Maison’s historic Grands Crus in the north of its vineyards. Blended here with terroirs from Aÿ to Louvois, wines from Verzenay are always full of freshness with a clearly defined, chiselled structure. With its depth, elegance, tension, and a saline finish evocative of the region’s characteristic chalky soils, PN VZ19 will delight the most informed palates. Subtle on the nose, taut on the palate; its dosage? Moderate, at 6g/l. Ageing? More than twice as long as stipulated by the rules of the Appellation. What does it taste like? The flavours you would expect from the most generous red grapes. While Premiers and Grands Crus vineyards only represent 31% of the crus in Champagne, they make up 85% of Champagne Bollinger’s supply.
‘When you enjoy a glass of PN VZ19, you will become aware of just how powerful the juice from the red grapes that went into it were. You will notice its intoxicating aromas, its creaminess, and its elegantly delectable bubbles. PN is a stunning expression of the very best of our savoir-faire, expertise this cuvée makes visible for the whole world to see.‘
Denis Bunner – Chief Winemaker
PN VZ19: where senses and emotions meet
- Appearance: luminous and dazzling. Its glorious golden yellow colour reflects the age of this wine, an enduring characteristic of Bollinger’s expertise.
- On the nose: a pinch of gooseberry acidity. Yellow fruits, such as fig, release sweet aromas while citrus notes—of candied lemon and bergamot—enhance the bouquet. Finally, honeyed aromas appear on the finish, rounding off into light red fruit notes.
- On the palate: endlessly indulgent. Every so slightly acidic Mirabelle plum, soft, sweet flavours, a creamy mousse… Citrus zest finishes everything off in style, coating the palate with deliciously bitter notes and beautiful freshness.
A blend of flavours for truly alchemical food pairings
To bring out all the subtle nuances of PN VZ19, Bollinger has meticulously selected flavours which are the perfect match for this liquid gold.
Bollinger’s menu begins with a starter that is an ode to sea bream, prepared as a ceviche seasoned with lime and mango. The main course? A veal and peach tagine brought to life by three different spices. And for a sweet treat at the end of the meal? A lemon meringue tart that is just as decadent as the champagne in your glass.
Serving suggestions:
PN VZ19 is a wine to be shared between passionate wine enthusiasts looking for different expressions of Pinot Noir from Champagne. To highlight its unique style and aromas, we recommend you serve PN VZ19 between 10 and 11°C.
Tasting note by Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin
Bollinger ‘PN VZ 19’
Unsurprisingly, the 2019 base year with its richness once again received mineral-influenced Verzenay (40%) as the base terroir when Aÿ produced slightly too rich wines.
The reserve wines on the magnum once again go all the way down to the tasty 2009 vintage all from Verzenay. Aÿ, Louvois, Bisseuil, Avenay, Tours-sur-Marne, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Mutigny stand for the background chords. Currently, the champagne charms through its complex and youthfully energetic bouquet of peach peel, gooseberry, cox orange apples, sea buckthorn, geranium and marigolds. The texture is at the same time softly ripe and velvety. The breadth of flavours is magnificently orchestrated and each new sip brings additional aromas at hand.
The potential alcohol content was record high from the start especially in Aÿ with 11.1 % straight away and Denis, just like me, sees great similarities between 2015 and 2019, but where the sharpness and freshness is better in 2019. It is not the acidity but rather the mineral salt that gives the freshness together with the sense of umami the concentrated grapes give. Here there is a swirl of exotic fruit and honey, but also a dry smokiness that I’ve learned to associate with the cluster of aromas that transforms over time into the note of railway on a hot summer’s day. It might sound fuzzy, but it actually makes perfect sense. The combination of heated rail, dry gravel, dandelions and nettles that thrive in the embankment gives a concentrated warm dryness that is strongly reminiscent of the character the grapes acquire when the temperature crosses the vine’s pain point on a few hot summer days. 41 degrees in the shade was a heat record in Champagne and especially a lot of shade, the vineyards in Champagne cannot boast of so the effect is reminiscent of that which arose in 1947, 1959, 1976 and 2003. Hence this aroma albeit less marked in 2019.
Let’s see if I’m right in 10 years when I expect that “the famous note of Railroad track” will appear in this beauty.
Richard Juhlin
PN VZ19 is tasted with great pleasure and intellectual challenge straight away, but personally, as usual, I will wait as long as I can before opening my own bottles to get the increasing depth of butter-fried cepp and toasted hazelnut aromas that only aging can provide.
