2014 Champagne Bollinger – La Côte aux Enfants.
An icon in the making: from a storied vineyard to a singular Champagne.
There are wines that express a place, and there are wines that embody it. Champagne Bollinger’s La Côte aux Enfants 2014 belongs unmistakably in the latter category. With this third release of the now-cult single-parcel Blanc de Noirs, Bollinger delivers not just a Champagne, but a statement—a vinous distillation of heritage, precision, and singular terroir.
Born from a vineyard long revered for its Pinot Noir and raised according to the exacting traditions that define this storied house, La Côte aux Enfants is a wine of character and power. In the 2014 vintage, it reaches a thrilling new height.
About the Winery
Founded in 1829 in the heart of the Montagne de Reims, Bollinger is one of Champagne’s most storied houses—known for its powerful, Pinot Noir-driven style and unwavering devotion to tradition. The house farms over 170 hectares of vineyards, 85% of which are classified as Grand or Premier Cru.
Beyond its emblematic Grande Année and R.D. cuvées (read our reviews of La Grande Année 2015 and the R.D. 2008 here), Bollinger has always championed single-vineyard expressions—none more exclusive than Vieilles Vignes Françaises and, since 2012, La Côte aux Enfants in its sparkling incarnation. These wines are not made every year and when released, are destined to become benchmarks for collectors and insiders alike.
About the Vineyard
La Côte aux Enfants—the “Children’s Hillside”—is one of Champagne’s most unique plots, both in history and in topography. Located in the Grand Cru village of Aÿ, this steeply sloped vineyard takes its name from the legend that only children had the agility to climb it. The site lies on a dramatic incline of 20 degrees and has twin exposures: the warmer, south-facing side is used for still red wines, while the cooler north-western aspect yields the Pinot Noir for this Blanc de Noirs.
The vineyard was a mosaic of over fifty ownership parcels when Jacques Bollinger—one of the house’s defining figures—began patiently acquiring them in the early 20th century. His vision was to secure a monoparcel source of Pinot Noir that could rival the grands crus of Burgundy. Today, his legacy lives on in this wine, produced exclusively from this site, now fully owned and meticulously farmed by the house.
Soils here are notably thin—just 30 centimeters of topsoil above pure Campanian chalk. This unique geological profile forces the vines to root deep into the bedrock, resulting in fruit of striking minerality and aromatic precision. At roughly 20 years of age, the vines are mature but still vigorous, and have been massally selected to preserve the clonal diversity of the old vineyard. The site’s chalk and elevation—rare for Pinot Noir in Champagne—give rise to a style that is taut yet rich, muscular yet refined.
About the Wine
A Blanc de Noirs like few others.
The 2014 La Côte aux Enfants is composed entirely of Pinot Noir from its namesake vineyard in Aÿ, classified as Grand Cru. The wine was vinified in old oak barrels and matured under natural cork for ten years—twice the legal minimum for vintage Champagne. The dosage is modest, at 6 grams per liter, striking a perfect balance between structure and freshness.
In the glass, it shimmers pale gold with a fine, persistent mousse. The nose is instantly captivating: waves of brioche, crème fraîche, and marzipan roll into richer tones of acacia honey, toasted hazelnuts, quince jelly, and a whisper of warm spice. With time, notes of leather, tobacco, and subtle patisserie emerge—an olfactory mirror to the barrels in Bollinger’s iconic oak cellar.
On the palate, the wine is voluminous yet poised. It envelops the tongue in silky texture, revealing layers of chocolate-dipped apricots, blood orange zest, and a red-fruited chewiness reminiscent of ripe strawberry and beetroot. Its structure is guided not by overt tannin but by a quiet, phenolic grip that tightens toward a finish of chalk, ginger spice, and dried fruit. There is brightness here, a clean acidity more citrus than saline, which carries the complexity with finesse.
La Côte aux Enfants is, quite simply, one of the most complete expressions of Pinot Noir in Champagne.
The 2014 Vintage in Context
The 2014 vintage in Champagne was marked by climatic contrasts. A rainy autumn and winter led into a dry and sunny spring, prompting early bud break and rapid flowering. A cold and damp summer challenged ripening, but a benevolent September turned the tide. For many, the vintage required patience and precision—virtues Bollinger exercised with confidence, opting to delay harvest in *La Côte aux Enfants* to ensure phenolic maturity and balance.
The result is a wine that defies the vintage’s expectations. Unlike the more linear, tightly wound 2012 and 2013 releases, the 2014 is generous, immediately expressive, and richly aromatic. Tertiary notes have already begun to appear, suggesting an early window of accessibility—but also the potential for a second phase of evolution after several more years in bottle.
Conclusion
The 2014 La Côte aux Enfants is not just a Champagne—it is a lens into Bollinger’s soul. It reflects the house’s reverence for site, the precision of its winemaking, and its deep-rooted philosophy of patience, balance, and expression.
This is a wine that rewards contemplation. It drinks beautifully now, with a power and aromatic generosity that will captivate lovers of Pinot Noir and Champagne alike. Whether enjoyed today or cellared for a decade, La Côte aux Enfants 2014 offers a unique insight into the past and future of Bollinger.
We award this wine a 98-point DWA score—an unforgettable Blanc de Noirs that stands shoulder to shoulder with the finest terroir-driven wines of Champagne.
This review is written by our own Niels Aarts. We tasted this wine during the Dutch launch of Bollinger’s PN TX20, held at Restaurant Bougainville (1 Michelin Star in Amsterdam). The wine was paired, by Sommelier Ronald Opten, with a freshly baked Croissant and Comté Reserve selected by Maître Affineur from Fromagerie Antony in Vieux-Ferrette.
La Côte aux Enfants is available in very limited quantities, for more information contact Verbunt Verlinden or Champagne Bollinger.
Price: ~€1,500
Taste Date: June 2025
Score: 98/100 DWA Score
Website: Champagne Bollinger
Writer: Niels Aarts
Glassware: Spiegelau Definition Universal