TN: 1979 Bollinger Grande Annee vs. RD

[Baby Chickpea]

<b>1979 Bollinger Grande Année</b>
Deep gold but no hint of brown. Lovely nose and not as developed as expected. Not too toasty or yeasty either. Quite elegant. Gorgeous palate – like warm, fresh bread and brioche . Stunning length. Nowhere near as powerful or concentrated as the RD and all the better for it as it is beautifully integrated. Very few bubbles left but the bottle was polished off in 20 minutes so little relevance. A marvellous wine from one of my favourite champagne vintages with everything in harmony and young. <b>Excellent 18.5 / 20</b>

<b>1979 Bollinger RD (Disgorged 1988)</b>
Incredible bubble mousse still. Deep yellow. BIG nose with plenty of toastiness. Hint of sweetness. Chocky (my girlfriend) says some “freshly chopped wood” too (clearly some evident oak). On palate, massive (A Perfect Circle’s song “Weak and Powerless” comes to mind as I face this behemoth). Very rich. Every sip is a mouthful and would definitely be more appreciated as a food wine rather than alone. Quite a meal in itself. Despite the maturity, still rather fresh with heaps of acidity and big-bodied flavours. In short, a jam-packed style with too much of everything for my likes. Not sure if I like it but clearly a wine of some pedigree. Much preferred the standard vintage of the same year. <b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>