If it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for you. Bollinger Champagne has made a number of cameos in James Bond films over the year. This non-vintage Special Cuvée is an example of a classic Champagne done well. Notes of marzipan on the nose and the palate give toastiness and leesy notes, specifically sourdough. It’s classic for a reason and would only elevate any table it finds itself on. (Drink between 2022-2032)

Lovely density and a fine-bubble texture. Dried apple and apricot with hints of dried flowers. Medium to full body. with medium-rich fruit. Spice, zest and ginger character. Usually 10% in barrel. 60% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay and 15% pinot meunier. About 40% reserve wine kept in magnums. Always really well done. Drink now.

(93+ points) The NV Champagne Special Cuvée (60% Pinot Noir and based on the 2021 harvest) pours a bright yellow/silver hue on opening and reveals a fresh and actually more mineral-driven profile on the nose than I was expecting, revealing layers of fresh raspberries, brioche, wet stone, and orange blossoms. The palate is medium to full-bodied and classically rounded, as you would come to expect from this house, but it retains good tension and a silky, chalky texture, with an ultra-fine mousse, salinity in its notes of grapefruit zest and almond, and a creamy texture through the finish. It’s very well-styled and is going to drink well over the next 10 years. They always try to have 8-10 vintages the blend, the oldest being 18 years (15 years when it goes into the bottle). 8 grams per liter dosage. - Audrey Frick

The current release of Bollinger “Special Cuvée” non-vintage Brut is crafted from its customary blend of sixty percent pinot noir, twenty-five percent chardonnay and fifteen percent pinot meunier. The wine was finished with a dosage of between seven and eight grams per liter and offers up a refined bouquet of peach, apple, pâtissière, gentle smokiness, a lovely base of soil tones and just a hint of oak. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, focused and complex, with lovely depth at the core, good soil undertow, elegant mousse and a long, complex and very nicely balanced finish. This is a very good Brut NV.

Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it's a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs. - William Kelley

Based on the 2019 vintage with 50% of reserve wines in the blend, the Bollinger’s Special Cuvée Brut NV is a fine-tuned assemblage of 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier aged three on lees and finished with an eight grams per liter dosage. Brimming with aromas of ripe white peach, persimmon, lemon slice cookies, fresh brioche, and honey, the medium to full-bodied palate is textural and weighty with a succulent red fruit core trussed up beautifully by vivacious, racy acidity. Refreshing and focused, it finishes long and honeyed. - Sarah Mayo

As always with this producer, this iconic nonvintage cuvée is dominated by Pinot Noir that gives impressive richness as well as ripe stone fruits. Wood fermentation adds further complexity as does the age of this bottling before release. Drink this Champagne now. - ROGER VOSS

This focused Champagne shows lovely balance, with its satinlike mousse and well-honed acidity enmeshed with flavors of white cherry, pureed raspberry, toast point and creamed almond. Hints of spices and smoke play on the lingering finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2029. - AN