Bollinger

Bollinger is a French Champagne house established in Aÿ on 6 February 1829 by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Renaudin and Jacques Bollinger. The founding partnership initially used the name Renaudin Bollinger because the Villermont family did not want its name to appear on the label. After Jacques Bollinger married Charlotte de Villermont, management passed into the Bollinger family, and the house gradually became identified with the Bollinger name. It remains a family-controlled business and is part of Groupe Bollinger, a privately held portfolio of wine and spirits houses. The house’s identity is closely tied to the Champagne villages surrounding Aÿ and the Montagne de Reims. Its vineyards are concentrated in sites such as Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois and Verzenay for Pinot Noir, together with Cuis for Chardonnay and Champvoisy for Meunier. Bollinger’s official materials describe an estate of approximately 180 hectares, with a high proportion classified as Grand Cru and Premier Cru. The estate supplies a substantial share of the fruit used by the house, while additional grapes come from long-standing grower relationships. Bollinger’s style is traditionally associated with powerful, structured and age-worthy wines in which Pinot Noir plays the leading role. The house emphasizes five elements of its production philosophy: estate vineyards, Pinot Noir, reserve wines stored in magnums, barrel vinification and time. Bollinger is unusual among Champagne producers in maintaining extensive use of oak barrels, particularly for vintage wines. Reserve wines are retained across multiple harvests and are used to provide continuity and depth in non-vintage blends. The combination of oak, extended lees aging, low dosage and hand-riddling for selected cuvées supports the brand’s positioning at the luxury end of Champagne. The core expression is Special Cuvée, a non-vintage Champagne intended to represent the house style. Its blend is typically Pinot Noir-led, supported by Chardonnay, Meunier and reserve wines. The vintage La Grande Année is produced only in selected years from Grand Cru and Premier Cru fruit, fermented in oak and aged for an extended period before release. La Grande Année Rosé adds red wine to the vintage blend. Bollinger R.D., whose initials refer to “recently disgorged,” was developed around the idea of releasing an old vintage after prolonged lees aging but with a comparatively low dosage, preserving freshness alongside maturity. Other important wines include Vieilles Vignes Françaises, a small-production blanc de noirs from ungrafted vines in Aÿ; Bollinger PN, a Pinot Noir-focused series; Bollinger Rosé; and the still red La Côte aux Enfants. The company’s British profile is unusually strong for a French wine house. Bollinger has maintained a relationship with British wine merchant Mentzendorff since the nineteenth century and received its first Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1884. The house states that successive British monarchs renewed the connection, with the Royal Warrant renewed by King Charles III in 2024. In Britain, Bollinger is often informally called “Bolly.” Its prestige image has also been reinforced by a long-running association with the James Bond film series, beginning with Live and Let Die in 1973 and continuing through films including Casino Royale, Skyfall and No Time to Die. Leadership has combined family continuity with professional management. Lily Bollinger, who assumed control after her husband Jacques died in 1941, became one of the most influential figures in the company’s history, expanding vineyards, promoting the house internationally and establishing a highly recognizable public persona. Later family leaders included Claude d’Hautefeuille, Christian Bizot and Ghislain de Montgolfier. Jérôme Philipon became chairman in 2008, marking the first time the house entrusted its senior leadership to a non-family member. Charles-Armand de Belenet became chief executive officer of Champag…

Bollinger’s history reaches back before the creation of the modern house. The Hennequin family, one of the founding families, held land in Cramant as early as 1585. During the eighteenth century, the Villermont family was involved in winemaking in Champagne without initially placing its family name on the wines. In 1750, the Villermonts established themselves at what later became 16 rue Jules Lobet in Aÿ, the location associated with Bollinger’s headquarters. Jacques Joseph Placide Bollinger was born in 1803 in Ellwangen, then part of the Kingdom of Württemberg. He moved to Champagne in 1822 and entered the wine trade through employment at the Champagne house of Muller Ruinart. His arrival reflected a wider nineteenth-century movement of German-speaking wine professionals to Champagne, many of whom became associated with important regional houses. On 6 February 1829, Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Levieux Renaudin and Jacques Bollinger established the Champagne partnership Renaudin Bollinger in Aÿ. The partners agreed that the Villermont name would not be used on labels. The company therefore combined Renaudin’s name with Bollinger’s, while the Villermont family retained an important connection through Charlotte de Villermont’s marriage to Jacques Bollinger. After Paul Renaudin died without an heir to continue his name, the enterprise remained associated with the Bollinger family, although the Renaudin element did not disappear from the label immediately. Jacques and Charlotte’s descendants assumed control in the late nineteenth century. Their sons Joseph and Georges took over the business in 1885 and expanded the estate through vineyard purchases in nearby villages. They also developed the house’s commercial profile in Britain. Bollinger received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1884, an important early indication of its position in the British market and a relationship that the house later described as continuing under successive monarchs. Jacques Bollinger, the grandson of the founder, took over in 1918. He married Élisabeth Law de Lauriston Boubers, known as Lily Bollinger. During Jacques’s tenure the company acquired additional vineyards, including land in Tauxières, built new cellar capacity and acquired assets on Boulevard du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, where its offices were later located. His period of management also coincided with serious challenges for Champagne, including the phylloxera crisis, the 1911 winegrowers’ revolt and the disruption of the First World War. When Jacques died in 1941, Lily Bollinger assumed leadership. Her tenure became one of the defining chapters in the house’s history. She continued acquiring vineyards and expanding production while personally promoting Bollinger abroad. Her international travel helped transform the house from a respected regional producer into a highly visible luxury brand. Lily also became a widely recognized public representative of Champagne, and her witty remarks about wine contributed to the mythology surrounding Bollinger. Under her direction, the house retained a strong emphasis on quality, family identity and long-term reputation. Lily remained at the head of Bollinger until 1971, when her nephews Claude d’Hautefeuille and Christian Bizot succeeded her. Claude continued modernization, increased vineyard holdings and developed international distribution. Christian Bizot later strengthened the brand’s global presence and introduced a Charter of Ethics and Quality in 1992, formalizing principles intended to protect the house’s identity and standards. Ghislain de Montgolfier, a great-great-grandson of founder Joseph Bollinger, became head of the house in 1994. His tenure maintained the family connection while reinforcing Bollinger’s technical and institutional role in Champagne. The house continued to emphasize limited production, estate vineyards, barrel vinification and extended maturation. Montgolfier also held leadership positions within regional Champagne organizations. A significant governance change came in 2008, when Jérôme Philipon became chairman. He was the first senior leader from outside the Bollinger family to be entrusted with the future of the house. Philipon worked alongside the family to preserve Bollinger’s values while supporting commercial development. In 2017, Charles-Armand de Belenet became chief executive officer of Champagne Bollinger, continuing the combination of traditional production methods and modern management. Bollinger’s product history is marked by a preference for long maturation and distinctive vinification. The non-vintage Special Cuvée developed into the principal expression of the house style. La Grande Année became the principal vintage cuvée, made only in selected harvests and vinified in oak. R.D. emerged from Lily Bollinger’s decision in the 1960s to present an old vintage after recent disgorgement and with Extra Brut-level dosage. Vieilles Vignes Françaises, first produced from the 1969 vintage, extended the house’s interest in ungrafted vines and small vineyard parcels. The brand’s cultural visibility was further enhanced through James Bond. Bollinger first appeared as a Bond-associated Champagne in Live and Let Die in 1973 and later featured in the Daniel Craig era, including Casino Royale, Skyfall and No Time to Die. The 2021 Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition linked the brand to the latter film while reinforcing its image of British sophistication and cinematic luxury. In the twenty-first century, Bollinger has remained family-owned while Groupe Bollinger expanded its broader wine and spirits portfolio. The group acquired Ponzi Vineyards in Oregon in 2021, its first winery outside France, and later added the Hubert Brochard estate in Sancerre. Bollinger itself continues to focus on premium Champagne, with a new central cellar opened in 2026 as part of a long-term program leading toward the house’s bicentenary in 2029.

1. 2026New central cellar opened

   Bollinger inaugurated a new central cellar as the first major act of its long-term bicentenary program leading to 2029.

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2. 2024Royal Warrant renewed by King Charles III

   Bollinger announced the renewal of its Royal Warrant, 140 years after its first warrant from Queen Victoria.

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3. 2022Hubert Brochard estate acquired

   Groupe Bollinger expanded its wine portfolio with the acquisition of the Sancerre estate Domaine Hubert Brochard.

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4. 2021Ponzi Vineyards acquired in Oregon

   Groupe Bollinger acquired Ponzi Vineyards, marking the family group’s first winery acquisition outside France.

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5. 2021Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition

   Bollinger launched a limited edition associated with No Time to Die and its long-running James Bond partnership.

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6. 2017Charles-Armand de Belenet becomes chief executive

   Charles-Armand de Belenet was appointed CEO of Champagne Bollinger.

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7. 2008First non-family chairman appointed

   Jérôme Philipon became chairman, the first leader from outside the family to hold the role.

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8. 1994Ghislain de Montgolfier becomes head of Bollinger

   A descendant of founder Joseph Bollinger returned the house to direct family leadership.

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9. 1992Charter of Ethics and Quality introduced

   Christian Bizot developed a formal charter intended to protect the house’s standards and identity.

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10. 1971Leadership passes to Claude d’Hautefeuille and Christian Bizot

    Lily Bollinger’s nephews succeeded her in managing the house.

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11. 1969First Vieilles Vignes Françaises vintage

    Bollinger produced the first vintage of its small-production wine from ungrafted vines in Aÿ.

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12. 1963The concept behind Bollinger R.D. is developed

    Lily Bollinger and the house’s American agent began offering an old vintage shortly after disgorgement, laying the foundation for R.D.

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13. 1941Lily Bollinger assumes leadership

    After the death of her husband Jacques, Lily Bollinger took control and led the house for three decades.

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14. 1918Jacques Bollinger becomes head of the house

    Jacques Bollinger took over and expanded facilities, vineyards and cellar capacity during a turbulent period for Champagne.

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15. 1885Joseph and Georges Bollinger take over

    The founder’s descendants assumed management and expanded the family vineyard estate.

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16. 1884First Royal Warrant

    Queen Victoria granted Bollinger its first Royal Warrant, beginning a long association with the British Royal Household.

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17. 1829Renaudin Bollinger founded in Aÿ

    Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Renaudin and Jacques Bollinger established the Champagne house on 6 February 1829.

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18. 1822Jacques Bollinger enters the Champagne trade

    Jacques Joseph Placide Bollinger moved to Champagne and began working at Muller Ruinart.

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19. 1750Villermont family establishes itself in Aÿ

    The Villermont family settled at the property that later became associated with Bollinger’s headquarters at 16 rue Jules Lobet.

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20. 1585Early Hennequin family vineyard ownership

    The Hennequin family, connected to the later founding of Bollinger, is documented as owning land in Cramant in Champagne.

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Luxury Champagne and premium wine house

• Special CuvéeNon-vintage Champagne

  Special Cuvée is Bollinger’s principal non-vintage Champagne and the clearest expression of the house style. It combines wines from multiple harvests with reserve wines intended to preserve continuity, depth and complexity. The blend is Pinot Noir-led, with Chardonnay and Meunier contributing structure, freshness and aromatic balance. Bollinger emphasizes prolonged aging and the use of reserve wines, including reserves stored in magnums, as central elements of the cuvée’s character. The wine is positioned as the house’s signature bottling rather than as a single-vintage expression.

• Bollinger RoséNon-vintage rosé Champagne2008

  Bollinger Rosé is the house’s rosé Champagne, built around the Bollinger style of structure, fruit concentration and freshness. It extends the brand’s Pinot Noir-led approach into a rosé format, combining the house’s sparkling wine base with red-wine influence. The cuvée sits within the permanent Bollinger collection and is positioned as a luxury rosé for both celebratory and gastronomic occasions.

• La Grande AnnéeVintage Champagne1976

  La Grande Année is Bollinger’s principal vintage Champagne and is produced only in years judged sufficiently exceptional by the house. It is made from Grand Cru and Premier Cru grapes, fermented in old oak barrels, sealed with natural cork during maturation and riddled and disgorged by hand. The wine is aged for an extended period on its lees before release, allowing the house to emphasize concentration, complexity and aging potential while preserving a link with traditional Champenois craftsmanship.

• La Grande Année RoséVintage rosé Champagne2007

  La Grande Année Rosé adapts the vintage La Grande Année framework to a rosé style. It is produced only from selected harvests and combines the vintage Champagne blend with red wine to provide color, additional fruit character and greater textural breadth. Like the white version, it is associated with oak vinification, extended maturation and Bollinger’s emphasis on manual cellar work.

• Bollinger R.D.Prestige vintage Champagne1967

  Bollinger R.D. is a prestige vintage Champagne based on the concept of releasing an old wine shortly after disgorgement. The initials refer to “recently disgorged.” The approach was developed under Lily Bollinger in the 1960s and was designed to combine the complexity of prolonged lees aging with the freshness associated with recent disgorgement and low dosage. R.D. is one of the house’s most distinctive products and is generally presented as a bold alternative to conventional prestige cuvées.

• Vieilles Vignes FrançaisesSmall-production vintage blanc de noirs Champagne1969

  Vieilles Vignes Françaises is a rare blanc de noirs produced from ungrafted vines in small, low-density parcels in Aÿ. The vineyards are trained and severely pruned in a way that limits yields and concentrates the fruit. The first vintage was produced in 1969 after the British wine writer Cyril Ray encouraged Lily Bollinger to explore the potential of pre-phylloxera vine material. The cuvée is made in very limited quantities and is among Bollinger’s most sought-after wines.

• Bollinger PNPinot Noir-focused Champagne2018

  Bollinger PN is a series centered on the house’s characteristic grape variety, Pinot Noir. The range explores how Pinot Noir from different villages and parcels can express distinct profiles while remaining connected to Bollinger’s house identity. Different releases identify their principal origins through codes and vineyard references, making the line a vehicle for terroir comparison and a contemporary expression of the house’s traditional grape focus.

• La Côte aux Enfants ChampagneVintage Champagne

  La Côte aux Enfants Champagne is a white sparkling wine associated with the historic Côte aux Enfants vineyard in Aÿ. The wine forms part of Bollinger’s estate-focused portfolio and expresses the house’s interest in specific vineyard sites, small parcels and extended maturation. It is distinct from La Côte aux Enfants, the still red wine made from the same celebrated slope.

• La Côte aux EnfantsStill red wine from Champagne

  La Côte aux Enfants is Bollinger’s still red wine made from Pinot Noir grown on the south-facing Côte aux Enfants slope in Aÿ. The wine demonstrates that Bollinger’s production extends beyond sparkling Champagne into still wine from the Champagne appellation. Its identity is based on a single historic vineyard site and on the concentration associated with the slope’s exposure and limited production.

• 2021Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition

  Worldwide

  For No Time to Die, Bollinger created a Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition featuring the house’s signature Champagne and visual references to James Bond and the Aston Martin DB5.

  Outcome. The release extended the 007 partnership into a collectible packaging and limited-edition product program.

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• 2012Skyfall James Bond placement

  Worldwide

  Bollinger appeared in Skyfall as part of the continuing 007 relationship. The campaign linked the Champagne house with the franchise’s themes of heritage, British identity and refined extravagance.

  Outcome. The partnership remained a recurring part of Bollinger’s international brand communications.

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• 2006Casino Royale James Bond placement

  Worldwide

  Bollinger continued its James Bond association in Casino Royale, reinforcing the connection between the brand and the Daniel Craig era of the franchise.

  Outcome. The placement helped maintain Bollinger’s visibility among international luxury and film audiences.

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• 1973James Bond partnership

  United Kingdom · United States · Worldwide

  Bollinger began using the James Bond film series as a high-profile brand association with the release of Live and Let Die. The partnership connected the house with British sophistication, cinematic luxury and the fictional agent’s established preference for premium Champagne.

  Outcome. The association became one of Bollinger’s most recognizable long-term marketing platforms and continued through later Bond films.

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• 2026Invest in a new central cellar ahead of the 2029 bicentenaryStrategy

  Bollinger is preparing for its bicentenary while seeking to preserve quality and traditional know-how for future production.

  What changed. The house inaugurated a new central cellar in March 2026 as part of a long-term infrastructure and heritage program.

  Aftermath. The project is intended to support Bollinger’s production and quality objectives through the coming decades.

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• 2022Acquire Domaine Hubert BrochardM&A

  The group pursued a broader portfolio of premium wine estates from distinctive French terroirs.

  What changed. Groupe Bollinger acquired the historic Hubert Brochard estate in Sancerre.

  Aftermath. The acquisition strengthened the group’s presence outside Champagne while supporting its strategy of managing high-end regional wine houses.

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• 2021Acquire Ponzi Vineyards in OregonM&A

  Groupe Bollinger identified the United States as an important market and sought an international winery investment aligned with the family’s interest in Pinot Noir and premium wine regions.

  What changed. The family group acquired Oregon’s Ponzi Vineyards, its first winery acquisition outside France.

  Aftermath. The transaction expanded Groupe Bollinger’s geographic footprint while leaving Bollinger Champagne’s core production centered in Aÿ.

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• 1992Adopt a Charter of Ethics and QualityStrategy

  The house sought to formalize the principles governing its production standards, family identity and long-term quality positioning.

  What changed. Christian Bizot developed a Charter of Ethics and Quality for Bollinger.

  Aftermath. The charter provided a framework for protecting the brand’s independent, family-managed character during international expansion.

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• 1963Develop the recently disgorged prestige-wine conceptProduct launch

  At a time when Champagne houses were introducing prestige cuvées, Lily Bollinger sought a distinctive alternative that would emphasize both maturity and freshness.

  What changed. The house released an old vintage shortly after disgorgement and with low dosage, eventually naming the concept Bollinger R.D.

  Aftermath. R.D. became one of Bollinger’s signature prestige wines and a defining example of the house’s willingness to preserve traditional methods while challenging category conventions.

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• 1829Use the Bollinger name while excluding Villermont from the labelStrategy

  The founding partners included the Villermont family, but agreed that the Villermont name would not be used on labels. The original business therefore traded under the Renaudin Bollinger name.

  What changed. The partnership adopted a label identity centered on Renaudin and Bollinger, later becoming identified primarily with the Bollinger family.

  Aftermath. The decision enabled the Villermont family to participate in the business while establishing the name that ultimately became the house’s enduring brand identity.

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• 2026Bollinger opens a new central cellar as part of its bicentenary program

  Champagne Bollinger formally opened a new cellar in March 2026. The project was presented as a major operational and heritage investment supporting quality and the house’s long-term preparation for its 2029 bicentenary.

  Other
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• 2026Émilien Boutillat appointed incoming cellar master

  Bollinger announced that Émilien Boutillat would become cellar master from 1 October 2026, succeeding Denis Bunner, who left the role in June 2026.

  Leadership change
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• 2024Bollinger receives renewal of its Royal Warrant from King Charles III

  The house announced the renewal of its Royal Warrant by King Charles III, continuing a British Royal Household relationship that began with Queen Victoria’s warrant in 1884.

  Other
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• 2022Bollinger Group expands with the acquisition of Domaine Hubert Brochard

  Groupe Bollinger announced the acquisition of the historic Hubert Brochard estate in Sancerre, broadening its French wine portfolio beyond Champagne.

  M&A
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• 2021Groupe Bollinger acquires Ponzi Vineyards in Oregon

  The Bollinger family group acquired Oregon winery Ponzi Vineyards, marking its first winery acquisition outside France and expanding its involvement in Pinot Noir-led wine production in the United States.

  M&A
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• 2021Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition released for No Time to Die

  Bollinger introduced a limited-edition Special Cuvée connected with the James Bond franchise and the release of No Time to Die, celebrating the brand’s long-running 007 association.

  CampaignProduct launch
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• 2021Bollinger appoints Jean-Baptiste Rivail as CEO of Ponzi Vineyards

  Following the acquisition of Ponzi Vineyards, Groupe Bollinger appointed Jean-Baptiste Rivail as chief executive of the Oregon winery.

  Leadership change
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1. Bollinger
2. The Bollinger House
3. The Bollinger cuvées
4. Bollinger R.D. - By Madame Bollinger
5. La Grande Année - 10 years of patience
6. Royal Warrant renewal
7. Maison Bollinger - Union des Maisons de Champagne
8. The Bollinger Family to Acquire Ponzi Vineyards
9. Groupe Bollinger acquires Hubert Brochard estate
10. Groupe Bollinger current affairs
11. Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition
12. Lily Bollinger assumes leadership
13. Émilien Boutillat appointed incoming cellar master
14. Bollinger appoints Jean-Baptiste Rivail as CEO of Ponzi Vineyards