94 Wine Advocate – Based on the 2018 vintage, complemented by reserve wines aged in magnum dating back to 2009, Bollinger’s newly released NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN AYC18 was disgorged this year with six grams per liter dosage. Foregrounding the village of Aÿ, a commune crucial to Bollinger’s distinctive style, the wine wafts from the glass with aromas of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, buttered toast, freshly baked bread and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an ample core of fruit that’s girdled by lively acids and animated by an elegant pinpoint mousse, this suave, charming Champagne concludes with a chalky finish. This has turned out beautifully.
While PN is a non-vintage, 53% of the fruit comes from 2018. Therefore, the different reserve wines (aged in vats, or in reserve magnums for the oldest examples) make up 47% of the blend. The oldest wine in the blend of PN AYC18 comes from the 2009 vintage.
Notes of honey, fruit jellies , quince and candied citrus. Aromas of marzipan and blood orange compliment a nose full of sweet spices and a refreshing hint of menthol. Serious, understated and rich, beautifully expansive with a finish full of confit citrus which enhances the wine’s freshness.