Mapping the Pinot Noir crus of Champagne

'Never miss the chance to buy a few bottles of each new edition of PN'
– Richard Juhlin, champagneclub.com

Champagne Bollinger is all about Pinot Noir. Of the house's 180 hectares of estate vineyards, over 60% are planted to Pinot Noir, and 104 of those hectares are grand or premier cru vineyard. Pinot Noir forms the backbone of their main release, the NV Special Cuvée. So it was always a little strange that with so much good Pinot Noir to hand, Bollinger didn’t have a broad Blanc de Noirs expression in the range; and no surprise that when they did get round to introducing one, in the form of their annual PN series, it was a big success. 

The PN series varies every year, focussing on the best-performing Pinot vineyards in that vintage. The releases are coded; the PN TX20 name of this year’s release breaks down as PN = Pinot Noir, TX = the premier cru village of Tauxières, 20 = base vintage 2020. 

The relatively cool terroir of Tauxières thrives in warm, dry vintages like 2020, and the Tauxières fruit has been blended with some fruit from similar parcels in Aÿ and Avenay. But a full 52% of the cuvée comes from reserve wines, from 2019 (aged in vat), 2012 and 2008 (these latter two aged in magnum, in the Bollinger way). Dosage is a moderate 8 grams per litre. It's still early days for the PN TX20, but at this stage it has lifted aromatics of lemon and orange, bruised apple and pastry. In the mouth, there is a kick of sherbet and an underlying autolytic character, and as air works its way through the Champagne it shows off its Pinot identity with notes of peach and gingerbread. As always with these releases, this is a very classy Blanc de Noirs that will thrive with a couple more years of bottle age. /NT

Offered subject to remaining unsold. Wines due to arrive Autumn 2025. To place an order, click on the wines below or call 020 7638 5998