Blockbuster aromas of honey and toast, ripe apples and citrus are complex from the first pour and develop even more complexity with air, turning meatier and more savory. Creamy and smooth in the mouth, with cascading flavors of buttered nuts and lush fruit, all balanced by great acidity and length. Drink now or hold another 5 years.

The 1996 Bollinger “Grande Année” is drinking beautifully at age eighteen, with plenty of brightness and vibrancy now coupled to lovely, tertiary layers of complexity. The bouquet is a fine and à point constellation of peach, pear, brioche, a lovely base of soil and a bit of honeycomb in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and still quite frothy, with a fine core, excellent focus and balance, refined mousse and lovely length and grip on the bright finish. There remains a very fine spine of acidity here that keeps the wine fresh and youthful in structure, and which augurs very well for its continued positive development in the cellar.

This is full-bodied with berry bread dough and citrus aromas and flavors unfolding on the palate. It's firm and muscular with depth intensity and a long lingering aftertaste. A Champagne for the table. Drink now through 2015. 400 cases imported.