Champagne
Champagne, the epitome of elegance and celebration, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of sparkling wines. As one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, Champagne has captured the hearts of wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs with its exceptional quality, refined craftsmanship, and iconic vineyards.
Historically, Champagne has been dominated by some world-acclaimed Champagne House, which source grapes and harvest from Champagne growers. These famous Grandes Marques include Louis Roederer (Cristal), Dom Pérignon, Krug, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Bollinger, all of them are revered for their notable names that display unrivalled winemaking prestige and pedigree.
In the recent decade, the emerging Grower Champagne trend in Champagne is shaking up the industry by challenging the dominance of the big Champagne houses. These small-scale producers, also known as "Récoltant-Manipulant" or RM, grow their own grapes and produce their own Champagne, showcasing the unique terroir and character of their vineyards. Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, and Champagne Vilmart & Cie are among the most prominent names in this trend, producing some truly artisanal and terroir-driven Champagnes.
Champagne is primarily made from three main grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. These grapes are carefully selected and blended to create a harmonious and complex flavour profile. Chardonnay contributes elegance, freshness, and finesse, while Pinot Noir adds structure, depth, and fruitiness. Pinot Meunier brings a touch of roundness and vibrancy to the blend.
The region of Champagne is divided into several distinct sub-regions, including Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. Each sub-region has its unique terroir, characterized by variations in soil composition and microclimates, which influence the style and character of the wines produced.
Champagne offers various styles, from non-vintage blends to vintage cuvées and prestigious prestige cuvées. While Non-vintage Champagnes typically epitomise the house style, the vintage Champagnes are made from grapes harvested in one particular year (top vintages such as 1996, 2002, 2008 etc), in which these wines showcase the unique characteristics of the specific vintage.
The prestige cuvées, often the flagship wines of the renowned Champagne houses, are the pinnacle of excellence. These exceptional Champagnes are created using the finest grapes, the most meticulous winemaking techniques and often benefit from extended ageing to achieve unparalleled complexity and finesse.
Champagne is synonymous with celebration, elegance, and luxury. Its effervescent charm and timeless appeal have made it the drink of choice for countless special occasions and memorable moments. With its rich history, iconic vineyards, and unrivalled quality, Champagne continues to captivate wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
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Champagne
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£339.62 |
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Decanter (97)Toasted hazelnuts and pecans on the nose, charry, buttery almonds, green apple so much aromatic complexity. Caramel, bitter lemon, orange, brioche/patisserie elements, like a buttery hot cross bun, some truffle too. Racy, piercing acidity hits the palate straight away along with such tiny, frothy bubbles that fill the mouth. The spine and tension is there, driving the wine forward with a clear vein of citrus acidity - a shot of lemon and lime, while still having the undercurrent of toasted, salty nuts. Nuanced and characterful with a hint of sweetness, sharpness and raciness all giving nuance and interest and building to an impressive whole. Well controlled with balance, construction and a gourmet feel. Made with Premier and Grand Cru grapes: Pinot Noir grapes from Mailly, Cumières, and Chigny-les-Roses, and Chardonnay grapes from Avize, Chouilly, and Vertus. Grapes are aged 12 years on their lees. Dosage 3g/L. Recently disgorged January 2023. |
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Champagne | 2 | 93-95 (EA) |
Inc. VAT
£601.24 |
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Essi Avallen MW (93-95)On this vintage with a prolonged growing season Bollinger played the cool card, choosing to go with a high proportion of Verzenay fruit (51%). The combination of cool vintage and cool terroir is truly attractive for a blanc de noirs. Already the nose has lovely zingy fruitiness to it, lemon custard, perfectly ripe peaches and elegant spicy and chalky tones. The ensemble comes across as elegant, super juicy and purely fruity. My favourite of Bollinger limited editions so far! |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£1,099.24 |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
Inc. VAT
£1,454.44 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)It was time for the good James to enjoy one of the most magnificent champagnes for the release of the 25th Bond film. The decision to use Pinot Noir for this 2011 vintage, exclusively from the home village of Aÿ with its mighty fruit is nothing short of brilliant. Perhaps wait about ten years until the wine has reached its peak and completely integrated its enormous fruit with the barrel notes, but the wine is already magnificent with its deep ripe aroma of Gravenstein apples, backed by fresh wooden notes. House typical and powerful. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
Inc. VAT
£627.62 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)It was time for the good James to enjoy one of the most magnificent champagnes for the release of the 25th Bond film. The decision to use Pinot Noir for this 2011 vintage, exclusively from the home village of Aÿ with its mighty fruit is nothing short of brilliant. Perhaps wait about ten years until the wine has reached its peak and completely integrated its enormous fruit with the barrel notes, but the wine is already magnificent with its deep ripe aroma of Gravenstein apples, backed by fresh wooden notes. House typical and powerful. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (FS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,252.40 |
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Falstaff (98)An immediate nuttiness of grilled hazelnut along with freshly cut red apple peel, an edge of white pepper and melted candlewax mark the nose – very unusual. With air, this slowly verges onto baked skin of plum. That nuttiness is also apparent on the palate with a real phenolic and textural element, there is much density, almost a chewiness. Very fine acidity runs through this wine, expressing the customary Bollinger creaminess, underlined by finest foam, revealing a lovely hint of pithy bitterness, more pepper and nuances of ripeness expressed by baking spice. A most gastronomic Champagne and only at the beginning of a long trajectory. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (FS) |
Inc. VAT
£5,133.62 |
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Falstaff (98)An immediate nuttiness of grilled hazelnut along with freshly cut red apple peel, an edge of white pepper and melted candlewax mark the nose – very unusual. With air, this slowly verges onto baked skin of plum. That nuttiness is also apparent on the palate with a real phenolic and textural element, there is much density, almost a chewiness. Very fine acidity runs through this wine, expressing the customary Bollinger creaminess, underlined by finest foam, revealing a lovely hint of pithy bitterness, more pepper and nuances of ripeness expressed by baking spice. A most gastronomic Champagne and only at the beginning of a long trajectory. |
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Champagne | 20 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£889.45 |
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James Suckling (99)Complex aromas of pie crust, iron, chalk and hints of sweet strawberries. Some ginseng. Full-bodied with very fine bubbles that give it tension and focus. Extremely fine and polished tannins that go on and on. Dried lemons and oranges. Chalk at the end. Hints of bitterness in the finish with subtle botanicals. Made from a single vineyard monopole of pure pinot noir. Drink now. |
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Champagne | 4 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£3,421.94 |
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James Suckling (99)Complex aromas of pie crust, iron, chalk and hints of sweet strawberries. Some ginseng. Full-bodied with very fine bubbles that give it tension and focus. Extremely fine and polished tannins that go on and on. Dried lemons and oranges. Chalk at the end. Hints of bitterness in the finish with subtle botanicals. Made from a single vineyard monopole of pure pinot noir. Drink now. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£1,727.63 |
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Champagne | 1 | 90 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£805.61 |
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Vinous (90)Light bronze color. Mature Champagne notes of brown butter, walnut, apple cider and maple syrup on the nose, along with fresher pear and mineral nuances. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated; a rather powerfully structured Champagne with noteworthy density and firm acidity. Considering the mature flavors, this wine is fresh and focused in the middle palate. Seems longer and more gripping than a bottle I tasted a year ago, perhaps the strengthening effect of another year on the lees prior to disgorgement. |
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Champagne | 1 | 19 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£919.24 |
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Jancis Robinson MW (19)Disgorged October 2010. Tasted blind. Something a bit rubbery on the nose but very tense and exciting. Is this the 2008? Tense and vibrant, with lots of complexity and persistence. Impressive for its age. |
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Champagne | 2 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£999.64 |
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Vinous (95)Bollinger's 2004 Brut La Grand Année is a beautiful wine with a lot of vintage character, but the style is a bit less oxidative than Bollinger fans are likely to expect. Pears, hazelnuts, spices and crushed rocks all flow through to the tense, vibrant finish. It will be interesting to see if the 2004 puts on weight in the bottle, as so many wines from this vintage have. Today, it is bright, linear and quite pretty. Green apples, pears and flowers all add lift on the close. |
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Champagne | 1 | 94 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,058.44 |
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Wine Spectator (94)A powerful, structured and graceful 2005, showing deft integration of the rich, chalky underpinning, firm acidity and expansive flavors of crushed black currant, spring blossom, toasted almond, crystallized honey and preserved lemon. Offers a fine, raw silk—like mousse and a long, spiced finish. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
Inc. VAT
£824.44 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)Here we have a classic and perfectly balanced Bollinger with deep layers and beautiful crisp apple acidity. Gorgeous balance between the dark and light as a perfect Ying and Yang marriage. Layers of dry cocoa, hazelnut fudge, dried apricots and juicy red apples dominate over a beautiful hint of forest aromas based on sous bois and mushrooms in the background. One of the three best champagnes from this vintage. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£979.24 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)The 2008 La Grande Année is another brilliant 2008 that delivers the goods. Straight-up awesome notes of stone fruits, white flowers, honeysuckle, and an incredible, liquid rock-like minerality all emerge from the glass, and it develops more nuance, spice, toasted bread, and an almost Alsatian Riesling-like petrol character over the course of the evening. It’s a full-bodied, rich, powerful Champagne, yet like the top 2008s, it has brilliant precision, purity, and focus. It’s unquestionably one of the finest versions of this cuvée ever produced, although it needs another 4-5 years of bottle age to hit prime time. It should keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo! |
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Champagne | 2 | 97 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£661.24 |
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Wine Spectator (97)This goes from zero to 60 right out of the gate, with an intense spine of acidity driving tightly meshed flavors of crushed black currant, ground coffee, candied grapefruit peel and toasted almond. The profile expands on the palate, carried by the fine, raw silk–like mousse. Richly aromatic and expressive from start to lasting, spiced finish. Disgorged July 2019. Drink now through 2037. 850 cases imported. |
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Champagne | 5 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£880.43 |
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Vinous (98)The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£826.38 |
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Vinous (98)The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£655.24 |
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Vinous (98)The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 16 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£678.04 |
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Vinous (96)Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,134.04 |
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Vinous (96)The 2004 Brut Rosé La Grande Année is a beautifully focused, vibrant wine endowed with striking minerality and fabulous overall balance. Clean veins of chalkiness run through the fruit in this energetic, taut Rosé, while seductive floral notes linger on the finish. The 2004 is 68% Pinot Noir (including 5% still Pinot) and 32% Chardonnay, 89% from Grand Cru villages and 11% from Premier Crus. The 2004 is very young, but it is going to be nearly impossible to resist. It is a dazzling effort from Bollinger. Disgorged September 2011. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,426.84 |
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James Suckling (96)A good rest on lees in the cellar through to May 2015 has seen this salmon-colored rosé develop a wealth of dried porcini mushroom aromas that really make a savory statement. It's gently smoky and shows some dried cherry fruits too – a gastronomic dream! The palate's smoothly cut with creamy red-cherry-fruit flavors and hints of pink grapefruit. It freshens into the finish. Thanks especially to a complex layered structure, this really is a brilliant rosé. Drink now. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£786.04 |
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Decanter (97)An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling, delicious and distinctive. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£739.24 |
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Decanter (97)An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling, delicious and distinctive. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96-98 (EA) |
Inc. VAT
£750.04 |
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Essi Avallen MW (96-98)At this point of youthfulness the pink colour is rather rich and bright. Lovely clean and fruit-forward nose with fresh red berry aromas mixing with spice and orange notes. Quite shyly evolved with much more to surface on the complexity front. Today there is attractive exuberant fruitiness and perfect creamy freshness. Promising palate with power and persistence where an overall harmony enhances the feeling of sophistication. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£787.24 |
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Vinous (97)The 2014 Rosé La Grande Année is airy, gracious and full of energy. Crushed rocks, white pepper, red berry, mint and blood orange lend striking aromatic intensity and presence. Finely cut and taut, the Rosé is a nervy Champagne that needs time to come together. The Rosé is blended from a base of the Blanc plus 5% still red Pinot from Bollinger’s Coteaux des Enfants vineyard in Aÿ. Perhaps because of its later disgorgement vis-à-vis the Blanc, the Rosé is a bit tight today. Disgorged: August, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (TS) |
Inc. VAT
£487.24 |
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Tyson Stelzer (97)PN AYC18 is a showpiece for the expansive dimensions, intoxicating allure and purity of Aÿ pinot noir; a wonderfully characterful blanc de noirs that celebrates the sumptuous fruit generosity of 2018 and the purity and precision of this fabled cru. With the generous tones of a full straw hue and a blush tint, it ripples with grand fruit depth of red cherries and perfectly ripe plums. The magnificent depth of complexity that is Bollinger rumbles in deep reserves, reminiscent of fruit mince spice and dried nectarines. I love that it is so emphatically Aÿ, so intrinsically Bollinger, and yet all transposed with the transparency and delicious fruit generosity that is 2018. It holds fantastic, succulent allure on a very long finish; the ripeness of 2018 translating in supple, silky fruit generosity, yet in no way heavy or broad, beautifully energised by the fine chalk salinity and pure acid freshness that make Aÿ such a beloved place. |
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Champagne | 4 | 93 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£531.64 |
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Decanter (93)The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022. |
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Champagne | 1 | 93 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£445.24 |
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Decanter (93)The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (DC) |
In Bond
£275.00 |
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Decanter (97)Toasted hazelnuts and pecans on the nose, charry, buttery almonds, green apple so much aromatic complexity. Caramel, bitter lemon, orange, brioche/patisserie elements, like a buttery hot cross bun, some truffle too. Racy, piercing acidity hits the palate straight away along with such tiny, frothy bubbles that fill the mouth. The spine and tension is there, driving the wine forward with a clear vein of citrus acidity - a shot of lemon and lime, while still having the undercurrent of toasted, salty nuts. Nuanced and characterful with a hint of sweetness, sharpness and raciness all giving nuance and interest and building to an impressive whole. Well controlled with balance, construction and a gourmet feel. Made with Premier and Grand Cru grapes: Pinot Noir grapes from Mailly, Cumières, and Chigny-les-Roses, and Chardonnay grapes from Avize, Chouilly, and Vertus. Grapes are aged 12 years on their lees. Dosage 3g/L. Recently disgorged January 2023. |
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Champagne | 2 | 93-95 (EA) |
In Bond
£485.00 |
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Essi Avallen MW (93-95)On this vintage with a prolonged growing season Bollinger played the cool card, choosing to go with a high proportion of Verzenay fruit (51%). The combination of cool vintage and cool terroir is truly attractive for a blanc de noirs. Already the nose has lovely zingy fruitiness to it, lemon custard, perfectly ripe peaches and elegant spicy and chalky tones. The ensemble comes across as elegant, super juicy and purely fruity. My favourite of Bollinger limited editions so far! |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£900.00 |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
In Bond
£1,196.00 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)It was time for the good James to enjoy one of the most magnificent champagnes for the release of the 25th Bond film. The decision to use Pinot Noir for this 2011 vintage, exclusively from the home village of Aÿ with its mighty fruit is nothing short of brilliant. Perhaps wait about ten years until the wine has reached its peak and completely integrated its enormous fruit with the barrel notes, but the wine is already magnificent with its deep ripe aroma of Gravenstein apples, backed by fresh wooden notes. House typical and powerful. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
In Bond
£515.00 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)It was time for the good James to enjoy one of the most magnificent champagnes for the release of the 25th Bond film. The decision to use Pinot Noir for this 2011 vintage, exclusively from the home village of Aÿ with its mighty fruit is nothing short of brilliant. Perhaps wait about ten years until the wine has reached its peak and completely integrated its enormous fruit with the barrel notes, but the wine is already magnificent with its deep ripe aroma of Gravenstein apples, backed by fresh wooden notes. House typical and powerful. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (FS) |
In Bond
£1,041.00 |
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Falstaff (98)An immediate nuttiness of grilled hazelnut along with freshly cut red apple peel, an edge of white pepper and melted candlewax mark the nose – very unusual. With air, this slowly verges onto baked skin of plum. That nuttiness is also apparent on the palate with a real phenolic and textural element, there is much density, almost a chewiness. Very fine acidity runs through this wine, expressing the customary Bollinger creaminess, underlined by finest foam, revealing a lovely hint of pithy bitterness, more pepper and nuances of ripeness expressed by baking spice. A most gastronomic Champagne and only at the beginning of a long trajectory. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (FS) |
In Bond
£4,270.00 |
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Falstaff (98)An immediate nuttiness of grilled hazelnut along with freshly cut red apple peel, an edge of white pepper and melted candlewax mark the nose – very unusual. With air, this slowly verges onto baked skin of plum. That nuttiness is also apparent on the palate with a real phenolic and textural element, there is much density, almost a chewiness. Very fine acidity runs through this wine, expressing the customary Bollinger creaminess, underlined by finest foam, revealing a lovely hint of pithy bitterness, more pepper and nuances of ripeness expressed by baking spice. A most gastronomic Champagne and only at the beginning of a long trajectory. |
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Champagne | 20 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£738.00 |
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James Suckling (99)Complex aromas of pie crust, iron, chalk and hints of sweet strawberries. Some ginseng. Full-bodied with very fine bubbles that give it tension and focus. Extremely fine and polished tannins that go on and on. Dried lemons and oranges. Chalk at the end. Hints of bitterness in the finish with subtle botanicals. Made from a single vineyard monopole of pure pinot noir. Drink now. |
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Champagne | 4 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£2,842.00 |
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James Suckling (99)Complex aromas of pie crust, iron, chalk and hints of sweet strawberries. Some ginseng. Full-bodied with very fine bubbles that give it tension and focus. Extremely fine and polished tannins that go on and on. Dried lemons and oranges. Chalk at the end. Hints of bitterness in the finish with subtle botanicals. Made from a single vineyard monopole of pure pinot noir. Drink now. |
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Champagne | 1 | - |
In Bond
£1,429.00 |
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Champagne | 1 | 90 (VN) |
In Bond
£666.00 |
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Vinous (90)Light bronze color. Mature Champagne notes of brown butter, walnut, apple cider and maple syrup on the nose, along with fresher pear and mineral nuances. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated; a rather powerfully structured Champagne with noteworthy density and firm acidity. Considering the mature flavors, this wine is fresh and focused in the middle palate. Seems longer and more gripping than a bottle I tasted a year ago, perhaps the strengthening effect of another year on the lees prior to disgorgement. |
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Champagne | 1 | 19 (JR) |
In Bond
£750.00 |
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Jancis Robinson MW (19)Disgorged October 2010. Tasted blind. Something a bit rubbery on the nose but very tense and exciting. Is this the 2008? Tense and vibrant, with lots of complexity and persistence. Impressive for its age. |
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Champagne | 2 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£817.00 |
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Vinous (95)Bollinger's 2004 Brut La Grand Année is a beautiful wine with a lot of vintage character, but the style is a bit less oxidative than Bollinger fans are likely to expect. Pears, hazelnuts, spices and crushed rocks all flow through to the tense, vibrant finish. It will be interesting to see if the 2004 puts on weight in the bottle, as so many wines from this vintage have. Today, it is bright, linear and quite pretty. Green apples, pears and flowers all add lift on the close. |
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Champagne | 1 | 94 (WS) |
In Bond
£866.00 |
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Wine Spectator (94)A powerful, structured and graceful 2005, showing deft integration of the rich, chalky underpinning, firm acidity and expansive flavors of crushed black currant, spring blossom, toasted almond, crystallized honey and preserved lemon. Offers a fine, raw silk—like mousse and a long, spiced finish. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
In Bond
£671.00 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)Here we have a classic and perfectly balanced Bollinger with deep layers and beautiful crisp apple acidity. Gorgeous balance between the dark and light as a perfect Ying and Yang marriage. Layers of dry cocoa, hazelnut fudge, dried apricots and juicy red apples dominate over a beautiful hint of forest aromas based on sous bois and mushrooms in the background. One of the three best champagnes from this vintage. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (JD) |
In Bond
£800.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)The 2008 La Grande Année is another brilliant 2008 that delivers the goods. Straight-up awesome notes of stone fruits, white flowers, honeysuckle, and an incredible, liquid rock-like minerality all emerge from the glass, and it develops more nuance, spice, toasted bread, and an almost Alsatian Riesling-like petrol character over the course of the evening. It’s a full-bodied, rich, powerful Champagne, yet like the top 2008s, it has brilliant precision, purity, and focus. It’s unquestionably one of the finest versions of this cuvée ever produced, although it needs another 4-5 years of bottle age to hit prime time. It should keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo! |
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Champagne | 2 | 97 (WS) |
In Bond
£535.00 |
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Wine Spectator (97)This goes from zero to 60 right out of the gate, with an intense spine of acidity driving tightly meshed flavors of crushed black currant, ground coffee, candied grapefruit peel and toasted almond. The profile expands on the palate, carried by the fine, raw silk–like mousse. Richly aromatic and expressive from start to lasting, spiced finish. Disgorged July 2019. Drink now through 2037. 850 cases imported. |
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Champagne | 5 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
£723.00 |
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Vinous (98)The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
£672.62 |
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Vinous (98)The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
£530.00 |
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Vinous (98)The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes tend to show more breadth and volume. In 2014, readers will find a Grande Année built on linear intensity and drive. The 2014 is a blend taken from 19 villages, 61% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay instead of the more typical 70/30 mix. For the second time in two decades (the first was 2007), Verzenay takes the lead in the Pinots over Aÿ, more or less an inverse from the norm. Verzenay, a north-facing village in the Montagne de Reims that saw less rain than Aÿ and most of the Vallée de la Marne, yields Pinots of energy more than volume. That, married with Chardonnays mostly from the Côtes des Blancs (predominantly Chouilly, Vertus, Oiry and Cramant), results in a truly magical Grande Année that will delight Champagne fans for several decades. I can’t recommend the 2014 highly enough. It’s a total knock-out. Disgorged: April, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 16 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£549.00 |
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Vinous (96)Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£929.00 |
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Vinous (96)The 2004 Brut Rosé La Grande Année is a beautifully focused, vibrant wine endowed with striking minerality and fabulous overall balance. Clean veins of chalkiness run through the fruit in this energetic, taut Rosé, while seductive floral notes linger on the finish. The 2004 is 68% Pinot Noir (including 5% still Pinot) and 32% Chardonnay, 89% from Grand Cru villages and 11% from Premier Crus. The 2004 is very young, but it is going to be nearly impossible to resist. It is a dazzling effort from Bollinger. Disgorged September 2011. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,173.00 |
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James Suckling (96)A good rest on lees in the cellar through to May 2015 has seen this salmon-colored rosé develop a wealth of dried porcini mushroom aromas that really make a savory statement. It's gently smoky and shows some dried cherry fruits too – a gastronomic dream! The palate's smoothly cut with creamy red-cherry-fruit flavors and hints of pink grapefruit. It freshens into the finish. Thanks especially to a complex layered structure, this really is a brilliant rosé. Drink now. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (DC) |
In Bond
£639.00 |
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Decanter (97)An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling, delicious and distinctive. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (DC) |
In Bond
£600.00 |
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Decanter (97)An enticingly rewarding nose of apricot, flint and toast leads to a palate that's just as good and even more developed, with honey, brioche marzipan and bruised apple notes. It has super tension and drive. Compelling, delicious and distinctive. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96-98 (EA) |
In Bond
£609.00 |
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Essi Avallen MW (96-98)At this point of youthfulness the pink colour is rather rich and bright. Lovely clean and fruit-forward nose with fresh red berry aromas mixing with spice and orange notes. Quite shyly evolved with much more to surface on the complexity front. Today there is attractive exuberant fruitiness and perfect creamy freshness. Promising palate with power and persistence where an overall harmony enhances the feeling of sophistication. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (VN) |
In Bond
£640.00 |
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Vinous (97)The 2014 Rosé La Grande Année is airy, gracious and full of energy. Crushed rocks, white pepper, red berry, mint and blood orange lend striking aromatic intensity and presence. Finely cut and taut, the Rosé is a nervy Champagne that needs time to come together. The Rosé is blended from a base of the Blanc plus 5% still red Pinot from Bollinger’s Coteaux des Enfants vineyard in Aÿ. Perhaps because of its later disgorgement vis-à-vis the Blanc, the Rosé is a bit tight today. Disgorged: August, 2021. Dosage: 8 grams per liter. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (TS) |
In Bond
£390.00 |
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Tyson Stelzer (97)PN AYC18 is a showpiece for the expansive dimensions, intoxicating allure and purity of Aÿ pinot noir; a wonderfully characterful blanc de noirs that celebrates the sumptuous fruit generosity of 2018 and the purity and precision of this fabled cru. With the generous tones of a full straw hue and a blush tint, it ripples with grand fruit depth of red cherries and perfectly ripe plums. The magnificent depth of complexity that is Bollinger rumbles in deep reserves, reminiscent of fruit mince spice and dried nectarines. I love that it is so emphatically Aÿ, so intrinsically Bollinger, and yet all transposed with the transparency and delicious fruit generosity that is 2018. It holds fantastic, succulent allure on a very long finish; the ripeness of 2018 translating in supple, silky fruit generosity, yet in no way heavy or broad, beautifully energised by the fine chalk salinity and pure acid freshness that make Aÿ such a beloved place. |
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Champagne | 4 | 93 (DC) |
In Bond
£427.00 |
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Decanter (93)The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022. |
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Champagne | 1 | 93 (DC) |
In Bond
£355.00 |
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Decanter (93)The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022. |
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