First taste: Bollinger PN TX 17

Bollinger PN TX 17 is the third and latest edition in the Bollinger PN series, dedicated to the terroir expression of Pinot Noir.

It seems it would be an excellent choice for serving at a surprise party, if we consider how Denis Bunner, the house’s deputy chef de cave, introduced it at the launch.

The first edition, PN VZ 15, was based on fruit from the Verzenay terroir, considered a small revolution for a house heavily associated with the Aÿ terroir. It came as a surprise, therefore, when the second edition, PN VZ 16, was also from Verzenay.

‘This time round, everyone thought the focus would be on Aÿ, the emblematic cru of the house of Bollinger, but it is in fact Tauxières,’ says Bunner. Another surprise.

Scroll down to see Yohan Castaing’s tasting note and score for Bollinger PN TX 17

Bollinger has been marketing this cuvée series since 2000 and each new edition is made with a majority base wine sourced from a specific terroir.

The terroir is chosen during a blind tasting by the in-house tasting committee, so the terroir that receives final approval could change every year.

‘It’s not a mono-cru or mono-vintage cuvée, but rather a blend of reserve wines from several vintages with a base wine from a single, recent year and a dominant terroir,’ says Bunner.

Bollinger PN TX 17 – the specifics

The base year for this new edition is 2017. Bunner says this was a complicated vintage in Champagne with heat spikes and, above all, a lot of rot in the vines as the harvest approached.

‘Fortunately, Tauxières has a cooler terroir that slowed the outbreak of botrytis and allowed us to harvest healthy grapes there,’ he says.

Explaining the specifics of the Tauxières terroir, Bunner says: ‘Before the official classification of the grands crus of Champagne (which was a pricing scale per kilo of grapes but is no longer officially in effect), Tauxières had been classified as a grand cru. However, in 1935, it was reclassified as a premier cru, but one pegged at 99% of the full price scale.’

‘This provides clear evidence of the recognised quality of this very special terroir. It has an important chalk element along with tertiary soil types, notably clay and silt, and produces Champagnes with a smooth mouthfeel.’

‘We vinified all the grapes from our block of 17ha in the Tauxières cru separately and made a blend of these wines’, he explains.

Although this formed the base wine for PN TX 17, wine sourced from unspecified ‘other crus’ also went into the final blend.

See Yohan Castaing’s verdict of the previous PN VZ 15 and PN VZ 16 editions

PN TX 17 is therefore made up of some 50% Tauxières-sourced wine from the 2017 vintage, with the rest provided by reserve wines from the 2016, 2009, and 2006 vintages, including some from Tauxières but also from Aÿ, Verzenay and Avenay.

About half was aged in stainless steel tanks and the rest under cork in magnums before being bottled.

Disgorged in 2022 after four years of cellaring on lees and then receiving a dosage of 4g/L, this 100% Pinot Noir Champagne is a welcome addition to the Bollinger PN series.

It stands out for its almost exotic bouquet and a broader palate structure. The underlying style may be less saline in character than the two previous editions, PN VZ 16 and PN VZ 15, but it has greater charm and more seductive appeal.

Bollinger PN TX 17 – quick facts

Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Base wine: 50% Tauxières from 2017 vintage

Reserve wines: 2016, 2009 and 2006

Other villages: Aÿ, Verzenay, Avenay

Ageing: half aged in steel and half under cork in magnums before bottling, followed by four years on lees.

Dosage: 4g/L

Disgorged: 2022

See Yohan Castaing’s tasting note and score for Bollinger PN TX 17

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