Bollinger launches sixth Pinot Noir expression PNTX20

Bollinger has released its sixth 100% Pinot Noir Cuvée PNTX20, a Blanc de Noirs based on the 2020 vintage in Champagne. This is the second such blend in this series from the premier cru village of Tauxières, where Bollinger has a substantial vineyard holding of some 18 hectares, only slightly less than the vineyard it owns in the crus Verzenay and in Aÿ, where the house and winery is based. The third release in the PN series launched in 2022 and based on the difficult 2017 harvest was also predominantly made from Tauxières fruit (PNTX17) As chef de cave Denis Bunner reiterated at the launch in Paris earlier this month, the concept of the PN series was dreamt up by his predecessor Gilles Descôtes who had the idea that every harvest the four-strong Bollinger winemaking team should each make what they considered to be the best PN blend they could achieve. The wines produced would then be tasted blind by the same winemaking quartet and the best blend would be the wine that was actually released.

Reserve wine

The new wine is made up of 48% Tauxières 2020 Pinot Noir, plus 52% reserve wine. The reserve wine comprises equal amounts that’s kept in magnums (under cork closure at a low pressure, just enough to help stop it oxidising) and in stainless steel tanks. The Vat aged reserve wine comes from 2019, and the crus of Aÿ and Avenay. However the oldest reserve wine in the blend comes from magnums of the high quality 2008 and 2012 vintages, mainly the former, says Bunner and that’s all from Aÿ and all vinified in oak barrels. “We used one part of 2012 because not all the 2008 mags were that mature.” The winemakers open and taste all the reserve magnums prior to blending to see what they are like; the final selection being anything but random. The Tauxières portion of the blend comes from two different plots in that cru, one where there is a very shallow layer of soil over the chalk only a few centimetres deep, and the other being what they describe as pink clay. At the launch of the earlier PNTX17, I visited the Tauxières vineyard in that very hot, sunny summer of 2022 and the foliage of the two different parts of the vineyard was at surprisingly different levels of development, thanks to the chalk’s ability to retain moisture and better nourish the vines.

2020 vintage

With the 2020 blend I had the chance to taste the two different Tauxières wines that are picked, vinified and stored separately prior to blending. They were, if you will forgive the pun, like chalk and cheese. The chalk grown wine noticeably fresher and more energetic the clay-based sample, rounder, more open and more mature. I also tasted the 2008 Aÿ magnums which are earthy, structured with a noticeable smokiness and toastiness. Perhaps surprisingly, given that 2020 was a very hot, dry year, it has a higher dosage than you might expect at 8gm/l, thus it isn’t, as so many current releases are, Extra Brut (6gm/l or less). But Bunner says that as usual they tasted blind all the different dosage levels that seemed appropriate and this was where they saw the best balance achieved, and certainly the wine doesn’t lack freshness, in fact it’s impressively lifted.

Michelin pairing

After the formal tasting Bollinger, which became a B-Corp certified company in 2023, hosted a dinner devised by two-star Michelin chef Bruno Verjus, whose main restaurant is located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris (he also has a green star). This was also the chance to compare the new wine with the two previous incarnations of the PN range: PNVZ19 and AYC18, followed by a ‘vins surprise’ which turned out to be La Côte aux Enfants 2015 pure Aÿ Pinot Noir (Champagne) followed by La Côte aux Enfants Coteaux Champenoise, Aÿ Rouge, from the ultra-sunny 2019 harvest. Bunner said that as was usual on such occasions when the chef came up with matching suggestions for the wines, he tries them to check what works and then, typically, makes some adjustments. But he liked Verjus’s ideas so much they didn’t change any dishes at all. Chef de cave and chef de cuisine clearly were entirely on the same page. Bollinger PN TX20 will go on sale at selected fine wine retailers from 26 June with a recommended retail price of £99.