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Bollinger cameo in Fifty Shades of Grey
Bollinger’s president Jérôme Philipon has revealed that the Champagne makes a cameo in the hotly anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey film, which hits cinemas today.
Speaking during the launch of La Grande Année 2005 and La Grande Année Rosé 2005 in London yesterday, Philipon said: “I haven’t seen the film but I’ve been told that Bollinger makes an appearance in one scene: Mr. Grey clearly has good taste.
“They use the Grande Année Rosé 1999 in the film as it also appears in the book. I haven’t read the book yet but I plan on doing so,” Philipon quipped.
La Grande Année 2005
In addition to Bollinger, Klein Constantia’s top drop Vin de Constance, Napoleon’s favourite sweet wine, also makes a cameo in the film, which stars northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan in the role of Christian Grey.
Philipon told attendees of the Grande Année 2005 launch and vertical tasting that Bollinger chose to hold the event in London as the UK remains its “largest and most important market in the world.”
Having waited longer than many houses to release its 2005 range, Philipon revealed that this year Bollinger had decided to release its 75cl bottles, magnums and Jeroboams of 2005 at the same time as they are all ready to drink.
Nearly all of the grapes (95%) that went into the 2005 Grande Année came from Bollinger’s own vineyards, with Philipon describing the brut as “the purest expression of Pinot Noir you’ll find in a Champagne.
Cellar master Gilles Descotes, who ran the Grande Année masterclass, described the 2005 vintage as “ripe” though said that the wine’s relatively low acidity would in no way impede its ageing potential.
“People think that high acidity is linked to good ageing potential in Champagne but it has nothing to do with it,” he said.
La Grande Année Brut 2005 is formed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from grand and premier crus vineyards in Aÿ, Verzenay, Avize, Chouilly and Mesnil-sur-Oger.
Descotes revealed that the 2005 vintage of the house’s top wine, Vieilles Vignes Francaise was zero dosage, containing no sugar for the first time in its history.