Always a treat to try Bollinger’s Vielles Vignes Francaises: a very special bottle of bubbles. And the 2000 lives up to the delicious wackiness I expect. Made from very old, un-grafted Pinot Noir vines from two tiny spots on the Bollinger estate, this wine has a unique density and flavour-profile; the old vine Pinot Noir add to the solidity one expects from Bollinger; and the profundity of the fruit gives even greater leeway for the funky off-beat weirdness that I love about the nose and palate of Bollinger’s wines. Perhaps not a bottle for somebody searching for clean-cut, pure, fresh Champagne; but if you want to see off-beat quirkiness done the old-fashioned way, and with amazing quality base-wine, this is an unique experience. Incredibly profound, complex, long, and with all its technical quirks coming together perfectly. I love it. View high resolution

Always a treat to try Bollinger’s Vielles Vignes Francaises: a very special bottle of bubbles. And the 2000 lives up to the delicious wackiness I expect. Made from very old, un-grafted Pinot Noir vines from two tiny spots on the Bollinger estate, this wine has a unique density and flavour-profile; the old vine Pinot Noir add to the solidity one expects from Bollinger; and the profundity of the fruit gives even greater leeway for the funky off-beat weirdness that I love about the nose and palate of Bollinger’s wines. Perhaps not a bottle for somebody searching for clean-cut, pure, fresh Champagne; but if you want to see off-beat quirkiness done the old-fashioned way, and with amazing quality base-wine, this is an unique experience. Incredibly profound, complex, long, and with all its technical quirks coming together perfectly. I love it.