Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants 2012 is a single-vineyard Blanc de Noirs made entirely from Pinot Noir grown on one steep slope just outside Aÿ. It is made in small quantities, and it shows the house's Pinot Noir at its most concentrated and food-friendly.
About This Champagne
La Côte aux Enfants, the Children's Hillside, was assembled by Jacques Bollinger between 1926 and 1934. The name comes from a local story that the slope was so steep only children could climb it. It covers about four hectares, split between a south-facing side used for still red Coteaux Champenois and a north-west-facing side, with thin topsoil over chalk, that supplies this Champagne. The 2012 season brought April frosts and a wet early summer before a sunny September. Picking ran from 13 September to 2 October. The wine was fermented in oak, aged well beyond the legal minimum and given a dosage of 8 g/l. Falstaff scored it 98 points in 2022.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Grilled hazelnut and red apple peel first, then white pepper, candlewax and baked plum skin as it opens.
- Palate: Dense and almost chewy, with nutty depth, firm texture and fine acidity carrying the Bollinger creaminess.
- Finish: Long and spicy, with a light pithy bitterness that keeps it fresh.
Serving & Food
Treat it like a white Burgundy: a wide glass rather than a flute, at a cellar-cool 10 to 12°C. It keeps opening over an hour. Drinking well now, with years ahead. Roast guinea fowl, a thick grilled pork chop or a wedge of 24-month Comté suit its nutty weight.
How to Enjoy
Dinner rather than aperitif. A good bottle for anyone who knows Bollinger's Pinot Noir and wants to taste one slope of Aÿ on its own.
Product Details
Producer: Bollinger
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Village: Aÿ Grand Cru
Vineyard: La Côte aux Enfants
Style: Blanc de Noirs Champagne
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2012
Dosage: 8 g/l
ABV: 12.5%
Volume: 750ml
About the Maison
Bollinger was founded in Aÿ on 6 February 1829 as Renaudin-Bollinger & Cie, and it is still run by the founding family. Pinot Noir sits at the centre of the style, making up around 60% of its own vineyards. The house farms about 180 hectares, largely grand and premier cru, with Pinot Noir in Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois and Verzenay.
Two habits set Bollinger apart. Its base wines are fermented in old oak barrels looked after by an in-house cooper, and its reserve wines are kept in magnums under cork for years before blending. The house is now converting all its own vineyards to organic farming.