GaryWEdwards

9.5

This is a pleasant stunner of citrus zest and tart apple. Whoa! Note to self: 12 is not sufficient supply. — 2 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Magnum en maximo mex vs ecua — 2 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.4

Such a great nose of fruit and flowers. Palate coating fruits and citrus and acidity. Outstanding — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Soft and good secondary notes. Quite subtle. Delicate lemon and oyster shells. Calm and pretty. Slightly disappointed but changing a lot with air in the glass — 3 months ago

with Gregg and Rick

mike cust

9.4

Crisp delicious, drink on a hot day chilled. Buy more — 4 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

Chris MacLean

9.3

Big winner at dinner tonight — 6 months ago

with Alessandro, Sarah and 2 others

Brian Hearty

9.2

2022. Love this wine with oysters and umami rich seafood dishes. Second time having this vintage and loved it even more tonight! — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Best on Day 2. The 2023 Amador County pours a bright, deep straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart orchard fruit: peach, lemon, tangerine, white flowers, lanolin, and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is waxy. Obviously young but I can’t help but feel that these Chenin’s from Tegan just keep getting better and better. Drink now through 2039. — 7 months ago

Maya Kaczorowski

9.4

Really like this one- have had it lots of times — 12 years 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. — 3 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 — 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 . — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I am seldom dumbfounded when it comes to wine. So, I appreciate it when that happens.

This 1990 La Grande Dame was amazing and so fresh. Full disclosure, I am not normally impressed by this producer and this cuvée. Unusual for a champagne of 35 yrs to be so fresh in my experience from inception. So much so, if poured blind many would call it N/V or a fairly recent vintage. The color was even palish straw. Mags were brought from their Champagne House.

Excellent with the dessert of the evening, “Lemon Meringue Pie Cookie.”

Enjoyed at the 2026 “From Cellar Event” Pebble Beach Food and Wine.

Creator is Sumaiya Bangee.
NEW YORK, NY
All in Hospitality and Thulathan
@_sumaiya_bangee_ — 4 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.5

No formal notes but exquisite. — 5 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

NV | the Sunday breakfast sparkling with scrambled eggs — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Founded in 1982 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer and sits on a tree covered knoll overlooking the Napa Valley, with caves that extend for over a mile. Pale lemon color with aromas of stone and tropical fruit, sweet oak, spice and floral scents. On the palate flavors of ripe peach, melon and apple, with vanilla spice, creamy texture. Medium+ finish, well balanced with acidity, ending with mineral notes. — 7 months ago

Christian Fischer

9.1

Xmas day and my mother in law likes champagne with cooking. What’s not to like about that :) — 8 months ago

Andy Stabile

9.1

Wow. I liked this more than most. Hard alkaline open. Citrus. Dry. Then a little juicy fruit on the way out. — 2 months ago

Gabriel Hayes

10

Tanglewood — 2 months ago

with Patricia and Rachel

Miles Perry

9.0

A great brut Champagne. — 3 months ago

KA

9.5

Del Friscos Double Eagle Steakhouse Denver — 3 months ago

KRISTIE

8.9

Our distinctive white blend marries the crisp honeyed citrus fruit of Chenin Blanc (80%) with the plush body, soft floral and juicy peach notes of Voignier (20%) for a lush, versatile and delicious wine. — 4 months ago

Slestyan

9.0

Butter, oak, lime? — 4 months ago

Billy L.

9.3

Happy Easter Cheers 🍾🥂👍🏻👏🏻 — 5 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Been a minute since I’ve had Ruinart. Especially, a Blanc de blanc. From 375ml.

The mouthfeel, rich with soft mousse. Slightly bruised golden apple, touch of apple cider, yellow pear, ripe-juicy yellow peach, juicy pineapple, tropical melons, green caramel apple, brioche-baguette crust, frothy cream, soft, white spice, vanilla-vanillin, saline-sea spray, dry, volcanic minerals, dry limestone marl, crumbled-dry chalk, yellow flowers framed in white, spring flowers in greens, pleasant, soft acidity and well balanced, mid toned/structured, elegant finish that lasts nearly a minute and long sets on beautiful minerality. 91+

The top left cave picture tells you why no other region can replicate that kind/much chalkiness in wine. The roots swim it. For me, there is no real substitute. — 6 months ago

romo

9.0

Too much of everything for me. — 7 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Magnum cena navidad — 8 months ago

Michael Siciliano

9.4

Oxidized, Botrycized this Chenin kills. — 11 years ago

with Mike and Nate