Bollinger, 'La Côte aux Enfants' Champagne, 2016
Bollinger, 'La Côte aux Enfants' Champagne, 2016
- 75cl
- 12.5%
- White Sparkling
- Pinot Noir
Couldn't load pickup availability
Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2046
Est. delivery winter 2026/2027
Bollinger's 'La Côte aux Enfants' is the house showing its hand as a still wine producer first, Champagne maker second. Made entirely from Pinot Noir grown on a single south-facing slope in Aÿ, this is a red Coteaux Champenois in most vintages, but 2016 saw enough of the crop diverted to sparkling production that this bottling exists as Champagne too, a rare and brilliant one at that.
This isn't a wine for anyone wanting delicate aperitif fizz. It's dark and serious, with the kind of grip and savoury depth that makes you forget there are bubbles involved at all.
What the critics say:
"A Champagne for serious enthusiasts. Aromas of walnuts, quince paste and orange peel initially seem austere, but a little air reveals wet chalk and savory spices. Fine bubbles frame a full-bodied palate, with honey, candied lemons, melon and peach cobbler flavors, all carried by an endless chalky finish. A truly special, 100% pinot noir from the single vineyard La Cote aux Enfants. Disgorged February 2026. Give it time to fully express itself. Drink or hold."
The Côte aux Enfants is a single, steep, south-facing parcel in Aÿ, one of the most prized Pinot Noir sites in all of Champagne. Chalk sits close to the surface here, draining quickly and reflecting warmth back onto the vines, which helps this northerly site ripen Pinot Noir to a depth rarely seen elsewhere in the region. The old vines, some over 50 years old, dig deep into this chalk, yielding fruit of unusual concentration and structure.
Champagne AOC governs production across the region, but what's unusual here is that this wine can be vinified as either Coteaux Champenois (still, red) or Champagne (sparkling), depending on the vintage's needs and the house's decision at harvest. Aÿ itself is a Grand Cru village renowned for producing some of the finest, most structured Pinot Noir in Champagne. Very few producers bottle single-vineyard wines like this; it sits apart from blended, non-vintage Champagne as something closer to a grower's statement piece.
The 2016 growing season in Champagne delivered exactly what producers dream about: a textbook year that reminded everyone why this corner of northern France makes the world's finest sparkling wine. After a challenging start with spring frosts and mildew pressure, summer settled into a rhythm of warm days and cool nights that allowed both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to ripen slowly and evenly. The harvest began in late September under ideal conditions, with grapes showing the kind of natural balance between sugar and acidity that eliminates any need for heavy-handed winemaking.
What emerged from the press houses was immediately obvious: 2016 produced Champagnes with exceptional purity and drive, the sort of vintage that makes tasting room visits memorable. The Chardonnay shows crystalline precision whilst the Pinots deliver both power and finesse, creating wines that feel both substantial and graceful on the palate. Most houses declared this a vintage year, and rightly so. These wines are drinking superbly now, offering immediate pleasure whilst clearly built for the long haul until 2035 and beyond.
Explore related wines
-
-
Speak to one of our Wine Gurus
Speak to a Wine GuruWith years of experience, our team can help you with all your wine buying and selling needs