The history of Champagne and its producers has always been determined, or at least influenced, by women. One of these is still Elisabeth Bollinger, affectionately known as Lily, celebrated as an icon and legend in the region. From 1941 to 1971, she ran the house, founded in 1827, and led the family business among Champagne's top-class producers, including the purchase of high-quality vineyards and the creation of Bollinger R.D., a vintage Champagne that ages on its lees for at least eight years and is disgorged only shortly before sale.
It has always been the philosophy of the family to exercise the greatest possible control over the production process, from the grape to the bottle ready for sale.
Bollinger's vineyard area is 160 hectares and, unlike many other Champagne houses, these cover 70 percent of the grape requirements, which come from numerous Grand Cru sites and a few 1er Cru sites. The remaining demand is satisfied with equal care by contract winemakers. This results in a quality that has found its way into numerous films, satisfying even the indestructible secret agent James Bond - before the next rescue of the world.
By the way, the Bollinger R.D is not only a registered trademark, it is one of the absolute top Champagnes amongst them all. A rarity and celebrated as a cult among aficionados is the Blanc de Noirs "Vieilles Vignes Francaises", a flawless Pinot Noir Champagne from a small parcel with rootless vines. Just 2,000 bottles can be produced in good years, and they sell out quickly.
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