SPECIAL CUVéE N.V., BOLLINGER

Bollinger's standard NV blend is actually anything but standard, hence the 'Special Cuvée' name. It has all the hallmarks of the Bollinger house style in abundance. Pinot Noir dominates the blend, producing an unusually full-bodied, complex and deep-flavoured wine. Ages extremely well if you can manage to hang on to it for a few years.

Bollinger is one of the all-time great names in Champagne. Over the years it has developed a distinctive, full-bodied style and stuck to it with great success. The NV is one of the best around, very consistent and with fantastic depth. The Grand Année even more so – always powerful and capable of long ageing. The top wines like the RD (meaning recently disgorged) are absolutely stunning – basically Grand Année that has been aged many years on its lees to add extra complexity before being disgorged. And if you’re still not satisfied, there’s always the rarely-seen Vieilles Vignes Françaises – made from a tiny vineyard of ancient, ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines.