History
Founded in 1829 by the German born Jacques Bollinger, Hennequin de Villermont and Paul Renaudin, Bollinger has established itself as a leading brand in the competitive premium champagne market.
Bollinger had come up with idea of producing champagne in 1822 while he explored France searching for champagne to export back to Germany. Initially introduced as Renaudin Bollinger (Hennequin de Villermont agreed to not have his name on the bottle), the product immediately became a success in Germany, with distribution of the product gradually growing throughout Europe.
By 1884 Renaudin Bollinger had reached Great Britain and was awarded a Royal Warrant to supply the court in the same year by Queen Victoria.
The grandsons of Jacques Bollinger, Joseh and Georges took over the business in 1885. They immediately began to expand the champagne houses's operations purchasing many vineyards in the local area.
The brands reputation for quality continued to grow throughout Europe, with the business requiring expansion in 1918 which included building new cellars and the purchase of vineyards in Tauxieres.
Throughout the Twentieth Century the business continued to focus on increasing the quality of their product and increasing the markets their champagne was available in. The popularity of Renaudin Bollinger continued to increase, which was in no part helped by the champagne's unique manufacturing processes.
The champagne house is one of the few that uses oak casks in the fermentation of its finest products. Whereas many modern houses use steel fermentation drums, Bollinger's use of oak casks allow the product to be intimately supervised creating a far more consistent product - with the added complexity the oak gives to the beverage.
Bollinger has also conducted extensive research into the effect of aging wines and champagne using cork or metal lids. While there was no difference for the first four years, after this point oxidation in the bottles sealed using metal was far greater than the traditional method. Hence to this day the company ages all of its vintage wines using cork.
It was only in 1960 that Renaudin was removed from the company's products, producing the brand we know today.
In 1992 the management of the business created what was a first for the industry in releasing a Charter of Ethics and Quality. Designed to ensure the Bollinger style is maintained and not altered, the document allowed the public to understand the pride and the goal to maintain the tradition of Bollinger that company continues to strive for.
Today, Bollinger continues to be one of the last independent champagne houses and is still controlled by descendants of the business's founders. It is also the only house that continues to supply the majority of its grape needs, with the business owning 144 hectares of vineyards.
Major Varieties
- Grande Année
- Special Cuvée
- Vieille Vignes Françaises
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollinger
http://www.thewinedoctor.com/champagne/bollinger.shtml
http://www.vinosense.com/2005/12/bollinger-champagne/
http://www.nextdaychampagne.co.uk/ishop/957/shopscr394.html
http://www.nicks.com.au/Index.aspx?link_id=76.608