Jelle Lars Heijmans

9.9

Magnum 99+ — a month ago

David Dorn

9.2

Very nice wine- drinks young but the fruit and structure is already there and it will continue to get better with age. Excellent! — a month ago

Stephen Mathews

9.8

Happy birthday to my favorite mother in law! — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV – Champagne AOC, France 🇫🇷

Overview
One of Champagne’s enduring benchmarks, Special Cuvée combines approximately 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Meunier, with a significant portion of reserve wines contributing depth and consistency. Rich, layered, and unmistakably Bollinger, it delivers remarkable complexity at a price point that remains accessible compared to many prestige bottlings.

Aromas & Flavors
Golden apple, ripe pear, citrus zest, baked brioche, roasted nuts, and subtle spice unfold in layers. Notes of fresh bread dough and orchard fruit intertwine with hints of honey and toast.

Mouthfeel
Vibrant and energetic with a creamy mousse and impressive depth. A delicate kiss of yeast adds texture and contrast, while the wine’s concentration and freshness remain beautifully balanced through the finish.

Food Pairings
Lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken, truffle dishes, aged Comté, oysters, or simply enjoyed as a celebratory aperitif.

Verdict
A richly textured and multi-layered Champagne that continues to justify its reputation as one of the region’s benchmarks. Complex, expressive, and consistently rewarding, it offers a level of sophistication that punches well above its category.

Did You Know?
Unlike many large Champagne houses, Bollinger ferments a portion of its wines in old oak barrels and maintains an extensive reserve wine program, helping create the signature richness and depth that define Special Cuvée.

🍷 Personal Pick
Few non-vintage Champagnes deliver this combination of richness, complexity, and value. The layered fruit, subtle autolytic character, and vibrant texture make Special Cuvée one of my favorite benchmark Champagnes and a bottle I never hesitate to revisit. — 2 months ago

Mary H

9.2

Few bubbles in the glass. Bruised golden apple, golden pear, slightly reductive / sherry-like. Reminded me a lot of the Peter Lauer 1987 Riesling sekt, but with fewer bubbles. An interesting but not crowd-pleasing Champagne. @ Persona, Stockholm — 2 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.5

Off-bottle; seemed 20 years older..: — 2 months ago

Paul K

9.6

Blown away — 3 months ago

David Samples

10

Beyond beautiful! Immediately soft upon opening—had planned to decant for 4-6 hours but decided against. Open and had small taste with Maggie Harrison around noon. Decided to re-cork it and decanted at 4PM.
At noon I got (very unexpected) cranberry notes on the nose and the palate was considerably more gentle than expected.

After two hour decant: Soft (cat tongue), integrated tannins, pomegranate, black cherry begins to emerge. Herbs, smoky/meaty notes emerge


Tasted: 5.20.26
Attendees: Mark Cerimele, Maggie Harrison, Steve Pfancuff, Lorne McClelland, Andy McCray, Denise Casino, Randy Nelson — 3 months ago

Conrad Green

9.2

Golden in color. Soft with apricot and peach. Unlike most Rav this is like aged spatlese. Delicate with tea etc. Pretty — 4 months ago

with Walker and David

Andrew Schirmer

9.6

Stunning bottle - showed really well after 3 hours or so. Maturing, integrated tannin, structured, a nose you wanna swim in… — 9 months ago

with Alsu

Jan A

9.0

Very advanced bottle — 25 days ago

Bruce Leboff

9.4

Drinking magnificently. Ready to go. Lots of life left but really nice. — a month ago

with Michael and David

Rolo

9.3

At Tutto Sag Harbor — a month ago

with Dinakar

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is far too young but when I have a chance to look in on Cheval Blanc I do.

Nose shows; ripe blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, plum, moist clays, coffee, moist herbs, roasted chestnuts, amazing florals that are red flowers, red roses, lilacs & violets.

The palate shows some nice evolution but still too young to drink. Ripe and slightly candied; blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, raspberries & plum. Moist clays, coffee, moist herbs, roasted chestnuts, espresso, mid berry cola, caramel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, crazy, round, bold spice, moist tobacco, used leather, graphite, dark, rich earth, dry stone, limestone, soft oak powder notes, amazing florals that are red flowers, red roses, lilacs & violets, round, rainfall acidity, balance, mid structure/tension, grand length and a two-minute long polished finish.

94-97 — 2 months ago

Gabriel Hayes

10

Tanglewood — a month ago

with Patricia and Rachel

Conrad Green

9.5

Savory and game. Great rich and pure plummy fruit with a hint of spice on the nose. Inky and balanced with iron and graphite. Stunning and balanced — 3 months ago

with Paul and Ara

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2023 vintage. 6.3.26. — 3 months ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.2

This was great but not same level as prior bottles. Perhaps a slightly off cork ? Medium dark rubi robe, nose of blackcurrant, top soil and balsam with hints of cedar. Ever so slightly reticent tannins but overall great length and good complexity. Great now, but no rush. — 3 months ago

with Jose, veronique and 4 others

Alvaro Bustillos

9.8

Aaron brown — 4 months ago

DE

9.5

At Clayton with a cigar big as the 96 — a month ago

Monis Mirza

9.7

Phenomenal wine. Tannins are completely softened with dark fruits. Incredibly enjoyable. The 2009 still going strong 17 years later. This can easily stay in bottle another 5-10 years. — a month ago

Jose Lorenzo

9.4

Casa de campo. — a month ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

This is a pleasant stunner of citrus zest and tart apple. Whoa! Note to self: 12 is not sufficient supply. — a month ago

Jose Lorenzo

9.3

Love this juice — 2 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.5

Rayas 08 exceeded my expectations — it was in great condition. We decanted it at 3 PM and started drinking at 7 PM. In the first phase, it showed sweet red fruit notes. In the second phase, herbal/vegetal notes emerged. In the third phase, a cooling mintiness appeared.

This bottle wasn't as explosively aromatic as the 07 I opened last time — that 07, after two hours of decanting, unleashed an incredibly rich and enchanting floral bouquet. It was like the scent of a garden transitioning from summer into autumn — grand and opulent, with a hint of fading beauty. Notes of black cherry, rose, and blood orange intertwined, and the aromas kept evolving over time — garrigue, incense — complex and alluring, with a grand structure and a rich, round palate.

The 08, on the other hand, feels more like a refined lady from a scholarly family — graceful, gentle, intellectual, with no aggressive edge. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2022 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Needs time/patience but shows pretty well currently if you're out of either/both. 6.3.26. — 3 months ago

Jean-Louis Carbonnier

9.3

From late 1990's; Premiere wine merchants, nyc — 3 months ago

Sam Friedland

8.9

Pleasant, dry and gentle Rasberries. — 3 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium lemon yellow fine , persistent perlage . Quite rich and ripe on the nose with some roasted nuts , lemon peel , some camomile , still quite restrained and a little closed. On the palate again quite full and rich , ripe lemon fruit , orange rind , roasted nuts and a creamy mouthfeel , certainly enough acidity to balance but on the richer side . Good length and lightly toasty finish . This is good now but will probably improve over the next few years and last well a further 5-10 . — 3 months ago

romo

9.4

Anti-roast, all tart cherry and white pepper, gentle tannin, faint horse hair. Wow. — 4 months ago