“Do me a favour, will you? Throw that down the toilet. Cut out the middle man.” says James Bond when offered a proleptic digestive enzyme shake during a scene in Spectre.

C’mon, doc, you know what the man wants. BOLLINGER!!

Today is No Time to Die and there’s no doubt we cut the middle man out with a price like this. Over 45% off?! The best price in the country?! Stacked with scores topping out at 97 points, and described by the pros as “a magnificent juxtaposition between the rumbling, billowing depths of ripe pinot noir like only Bollinger can conjure”, this is surely a must have for the collectors out there.

And while diamonds are Forever, but this offer is not!

That’s right! For Yours Eyes Only, and for the FIRST time in Wine Spies history, none other than 007’s favorite Champagne house. It’s a BOLLY!

And today’s offering from the famed producer – Bollinger PN VZ19 – is a masterclass in the juxtaposition of opposing elements. Broad and dense Pinot Noir fruit and toasty reserve wine richness seamlessly contrasted by racy acidity and a stunningly saline finish. As refined, powerful, and quietly confident as 007.

Vinous compares the PN VZ19 to Bollinger’s top bottling; (which sells for $2,500+, BTW!) “In this release, the (2019) PN VZ is like a mini-Vieilles Vignes Françaises. It’s an incredibly racy, sexy Blanc de Noirs.”

For more than four decades Bollinger has been as indispensable to James Bond as his Aston Martin or Omega timepiece. But he is far from the only devotee…

The wines of Bollinger are an official supplier and favorite of the British Royal Family, not to mention beloved by every Master of Wine and Master Sommelier we have ever clinked glasses with. As the Wine Advocate recently raved, “One of Champagne’s reference points, Bollinger’s serious approach to farming, Pinot Noir-dominated style, commitment to barrel fermentation and maturation and superb palette of prime terroirs mark it out as one of the leading Grandes Marques today.”

PN is the latest in their lineup. Bollinger began production in 2015. Their unique vision of Pinot Noir. Classified a non-vintage blend of multiple years, it’s always based on a specific vintage and Grand Cru that for them produced the best that grape had to offer in that year. Reserve wines are added to contribute nuance and complexity that highlights the character of the vintage. It’s their License to Kill, allowing them to make the best Blanc-de-Noirs celebration of the year possible without the legal constraints of Vintage Champagne.

The VZ in PN VZ19 is code for Verzenay. The 19, for 2019 – their fourth bottling of PN. A challenging year due to unusual warmth and weather conditions, this Grand Cru site on the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims was a true standout. Verzenay is renowned for the freshness and finesse afforded by its north-facing aspect and chalky soils. In the skilled hands of the team at Bollinger the Pinot Noir there in 2019 overcame adversity to achieve perfect balance. They then blended it with reserve lots, many aged in magnum, from several vintages (mostly from 2009 from Aÿ, Tauxières, and three other villages) and aged it for four years on lees before disgorgement in 2024 – all steps adding layers upon layers of toasty nutty complexity.

Or, as Decanter puts it, “It weaves a beautiful line between the clear, long and ultra-fine Pinot of Verzenay, mineral and understated, the quiet power of the 2019 vintage, and the stunning complexity of reserves.”

“If all that sounds complicated, the wine’s appeal is easier to see,” explains the Wine Advocate, going on to call the PN VZ19, “the strongest iteration of this cuvée to date.”

Die Another Day! And definitely don’t blow all your money at the Casino Royale, because though The World is Not Enough, today’s Champagne will offer a Quantum of Solace, and it’s a reminder that You Only Live Twice!

Countdown Initiated… 10, 9, 8,…

97-Points, The Champagne Guide “PN returns to its Verzenay origins (as per its first iterations as VZ15 and VZ16, followed by TX17 and AYC18). 2019 ranks among the best of Champagne’s recent vintages and the cool, north-eastern slopes of Verzenay uphold compelling tension in the midst of a warming climate. The result is a magnificent juxtaposition between the rumbling, billowing depths of ripe pinot noir like only Bollinger can conjure, thanks to the presence and magnitude of primarily Aÿ and also Avenay-val-d’Or, Tauxières, and Mutigny, and the pristine definition and lifted freshness of vibrant fruit that characterises Verzenay. Boasting a medium straw hue, it wells up with deep black and red cherry fruit, satsuma plum, blackberries and layers of anise and sarsaparilla. Barrel fermentation and a record 25 percent of reserve magnums lend their characteristic creaminess and subtle patisserie complexity, but it is the fine chalk minerality of Verzenay chalk that remains the hero of a long finish, upholding magnificent texture, tension and crystalline brightness like no other pinot village.”

95-Points, Decanter “Bollinger continues its quest to highlight its Pinot Noir expertise with arguably the most exciting and focused wine yet in the PN series, focusing on the grand cru village of Verzenay from 2019 (backed up with reserves from all around the Montagne de Reims and Grande Vallée, 25% of which comes directly from magnums). It weaves a beautiful line between the clear, long and ultra-fine Pinot of Verzenay, mineral and understated, the quiet power of the 2019 vintage, and the stunning complexity of reserves. Baked apricot, scorched orange citrus and soft raspberry fruits, with toasty nougat, cocoa and dried pear ageing characters. A striking wine of persistent, tightly packed quality, holding terrific mid-term potential. Drink 2024 – 2034.”

94-Points, Wine Advocate “One of Champagne’s reference points, Bollinger’s serious approach to farming, Pinot Noir-dominated style, commitment to barrel fermentation and maturation and superb palette of prime terroirs mark it out as one of the leading Grandes Marques today. The latest rendition of Bollinger’s blended blanc de noirs bottling is the NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN VZ19; it is based on the 2019 vintage, which represents 52% of the blend, and the village of Verzenay, which accounts for the origin of 40% of this bottling’s components. 2019 is complemented by fully 48% reserve wines, and above all, fully a quarter derives from 2009; and it has the tension of Verzenay by Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d’Or, Tauxières and Mutigny. If all that sounds complicated, the wine’s appeal is easier to see, as it offers up a demonstrative bouquet of yellow stone fruit, mandarin and praline, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and pillowy palate that’s charming, even giving, but also attractively racy, concluding with a saline finish. It was disgorged with six grams per liter dosage. This doesn’t tower above its 2018-base counterpart (perhaps unsurprisingly, as the percentage of reserve wines in this bottling is so high), but it does seem to be marginally the strongest iteration of this cuvée to date. Drink 2024 – 2040.”

94-Points, Vinous “The NV (2019) PN VZ is another terrific wine in this new range of Champagnes from Bollinger that is now in its fifth release. Exotic floral and spice notes play off a core of Pinot fruit in this captivating, mid-weight offering. Time in the glass accents the wine’s inner sweetness and perfume. Pear, mint, jasmine and white pepper linger. In this release, the (2019) PN VZ is like a mini-Vieilles Vignes Françaises. It’s an incredibly racy, sexy Blanc de Noirs. This release is based on 2019, with 50% reserve wines back to 2009. About half of the reserve wines were aged in magnum. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Drink 2024 – 2039.”