Bollinger R.D. 2008

Bollinger R.D. 2008 is a vintage prestige Champagne comprising 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay, aged 14 years on lees under cork (750ml, 12% ABV). Awarded 98+ points by William Kelley at Wine Advocate and a perfect 100 from Ian D'Agata, this release stands among the highest-scoring R.D. bottlings in the house's history.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12%  |  Origin: Champagne, France  |  Vintage: 2008  |  House: Bollinger  |  Dosage: 3 g/L

Production & Heritage

Bollinger, founded in Aÿ in 1829, remains one of the few Champagne houses to ferment entirely in oak barrels—a practice largely abandoned elsewhere in the region. R.D. stands for Récemment Dégorgé (Recently Disgorged), a concept Bollinger pioneered in 1952, where finished wine rests on its lees far longer than standard vintage Champagne before final disgorgement. The 2008 expression draws its fruit from 18 crus, led by Aÿ and Verzenay for Pinot Noir and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant for Chardonnay.

What makes this release exceptional even within the R.D. lineage is threefold: each bottle is aged under natural cork rather than crown capsule, requiring every single bottle to be riddled and disgorged by hand; the dosage is held to a mere 3 grams per liter, reinforcing the wine's natural structure; and the 2008 vintage is the first R.D. to be aged in the redesigned "1846" Bollinger bottle, whose unique shape is said to offer beneficial aging properties.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with enticing layers of marzipan and stewed apricot, deepening into honey and warm breadcrumbs. A lifted thread of bergamot and dried flowers adds freshness beneath the richness.

Taste: The palate entry is focused and precise, with preserved Meyer lemon and tangerine oil giving way to a mid-palate of Mirabelle plum and vine peach. Toasted hazelnut and crystallized honey expand generously, accented by ground ginger and a striking brothy salinity. Despite the wine's 14-year lees contact, the 2008 vintage's natural acidity keeps everything taut and vibrant.

Finish: Extremely long, with fresh hazelnut, oyster shell minerality, and hints of peach skin lingering well beyond the glass. The low dosage allows a saline, almost umami-like resonance to carry the close without a trace of sweetness.

How to Drink Bollinger R.D.

This Champagne rewards still, unhurried attention—serve it at 52–55°F in a wide-bowled white wine glass or a tulip-shaped Champagne glass to let the aromatics fully develop. A slight chill is appropriate, but excessive cold will suppress the complex secondary and tertiary layers. While primarily a wine for contemplative sipping, the R.D. 2008 holds its own in elevated food-and-wine contexts rather than cocktails; its structure, salinity, and depth are best appreciated unblended.

Best For

• Celebrating a milestone anniversary, retirement, or significant career achievement
• Gifting a serious Champagne collector or wine enthusiast who values critical acclaim
• Anchoring a formal multi-course dinner as the opening pour or with a seafood course
• Adding to a cellar as a reference-point vintage from one of Champagne's great houses

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bollinger R.D. 2008 taste like? Bollinger R.D. 2008 combines ripe stone fruit—apricot, Mirabelle plum, peach—with toasted hazelnut, crystallized honey, and a pronounced brothy salinity. The extremely low 3 g/L dosage and 14 years on lees create a textured, savory Champagne with a finish that lingers for well over a minute.

How does Bollinger R.D. 2008 compare to Krug Clos du Mesnil 2008? Both earned 98+ points from Wine Advocate for the 2008 vintage, but they are stylistic counterparts: Krug Clos du Mesnil is 100% Chardonnay from a single walled vineyard in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, producing a laser-focused, mineral wine, while Bollinger R.D. is Pinot Noir-dominant from 18 crus, delivering broader weight, hazelnut richness, and textural depth. The Krug also commands a significantly higher price, often two to three times more at retail.

Is Bollinger R.D. 2008 good for sipping neat? Absolutely—this is a Champagne built for attentive, unhurried sipping, with enough complexity and structure to reward an hour in the glass as it opens and evolves with temperature.

Where is Bollinger R.D. 2008 made? Bollinger R.D. 2008 is produced by Champagne Bollinger, headquartered in Aÿ-Champagne in the Vallée de la Marne, France. Fruit is sourced from 18 crus across the region, with Pinot Noir primarily from Aÿ and Verzenay and Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant—all Grand Cru villages.

What foods pair well with Bollinger R.D. 2008? Freshly shucked oysters and raw shellfish echo the wine's saline minerality. Roasted lobster with brown butter bridges its hazelnut and honey tones. Aged Comté or Gruyère matches its textural weight. Seared foie gras with stone fruit chutney complements both the richness and acidity. Sashimi-grade scallops highlight the wine's precision and citrus lift.

What sizes does Bollinger R.D. 2008 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, and Bollinger has historically offered select R.D. vintages in magnum (1.5L) as well, though availability varies by market.

Is Bollinger R.D. 2008 worth the price? Bollinger R.D. 2008 occupies the upper tier of prestige cuvée Champagne, competing directly with wines from Krug, Dom Pérignon P2, and Salon. Its 98+ Wine Advocate rating, perfect 100 from Ian D'Agata, and labor-intensive production—hand-riddled, hand-disgorged, aged under cork for 14 years—position it as serious value relative to single-vineyard competitors that cost considerably more for comparable critical acclaim.

Why Bollinger R.D. 2008?

The 2008 vintage is widely regarded as one of the finest in Champagne since 1996, combining ripe fruit concentration with firm natural acidity—the ideal foundation for extended lees aging. Bollinger's decision to age this wine 14 years under cork, not crown capsule, is a commitment almost no other house makes at scale, and the hand-disgorgement of every individual bottle adds a level of craft that directly impacts the wine's texture and mousse quality. With 98+ points from Wine Advocate, 98 from Jeb Dunnuck, 97 from Wine Spectator, and a perfect score from Ian D'Agata, the 2008 R.D. has earned near-universal critical consensus as an exceptional release. As the first vintage produced in the redesigned 1846 bottle, it also marks a turning point in the R.D. lineage—a wine that honors Bollinger's 19th-century origins while setting a new benchmark for the series.