Bollinger

Corporate brand

A family-owned Champagne house from Aÿ, France, recognized for Pinot Noir-led sparkling wines, extended cellar aging, oak vinification and its long association with the British Royal Household and James Bond. A renowned independent French Champagne house recognized for Pinot Noir-led wines, traditional production methods, and prestige cuvées.

Last updated October 14, 2026

Overview

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.

History

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. Champagne Bollinger was established in 1829 in the Champagne region of France. Its origins are connected with Jacques Bollinger and the early development of the Bollinger family presence in the Aÿ area, a locality historically associated with important Champagne vineyards. From its beginning, the house was built around the production and trading of Champagne rather than around a broader portfolio of alcoholic drinks. Over time, Bollinger developed a house identity based on wines with structure, depth, and a significant Pinot Noir component. This style was supported by attention to vineyard sources, blending, reserve wines, and cellar maturation. Instead of treating non-vintage Champagne as a simple yearly product, the house used blending across harvests to preserve a recognizable profile. That approach became particularly visible in Special Cuvée, which evolved into the brand's principal international reference. The house's positioning also reflects the importance of vintage Champagne. La Grande Année is produced only when the harvest is considered suitable for a vintage expression, allowing the wine to communicate characteristics of a particular year while remaining within Bollinger's stylistic framework. This vintage emphasis helped establish the brand among luxury Champagne producers and gave it a clear distinction between its continuously available flagship blend and its more limited prestige wines. Bollinger retained an independent, family-owned character while Champagne became increasingly internationalized. Its wines reached markets beyond France through specialist merchants, restaurants, hotels, luxury retailers, and national importers. The brand's identity was strengthened by its consistent visual and commercial presentation, as well as by its association with premium hospitality and fine dining. A further stage in Bollinger's international recognition came through its relationship with the James Bond film series. Bollinger Champagne appeared as a recurring Bond-associated product, linking the house with a fictional world of elegance, travel, and luxury. The association broadened consumer awareness without changing the core of the business: producing and ageing Champagne in the region of origin. In the contemporary period, Bollinger presents itself as an independent French Champagne house with a worldwide market. Its portfolio continues to center on Special Cuvée, vintage wines such as La Grande Année, and other Champagne expressions. The available reference material does not provide enough verified detail to reconstruct every ownership transition, production expansion, executive appointment, or commercial decision in the house's history. Such details should be added only when supported by authoritative company, regulatory, or archival sources.

2026
New central cellar opened
[10]Groupe Bollinger current affairsgroupebollinger.fr
Bollinger inaugurated a new central cellar as the first major act of its long-term bicentenary program leading to 2029.
2024
Royal Warrant renewed by King Charles III
[6]Royal Warrant renewalchampagne-bollinger.com
Bollinger announced the renewal of its Royal Warrant, 140 years after its first warrant from Queen Victoria.
2022
Hubert Brochard estate acquired
[9]Groupe Bollinger acquires Hubert Brochard estategroupebollinger.fr
Groupe Bollinger expanded its wine portfolio with the acquisition of the Sancerre estate Domaine Hubert Brochard.
2021
Ponzi Vineyards acquired in Oregon
[8]The Bollinger Family to Acquire Ponzi Vineyardsgroupebollinger.fr
Groupe Bollinger acquired Ponzi Vineyards, marking the family group’s first winery acquisition outside France.
2021
Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition
[11]Special Cuvée 007 Limited Editionspecial-cuvee-007.champagne-bollinger.com
Bollinger launched a limited edition associated with No Time to Die and its long-running James Bond partnership.
2017
Charles-Armand de Belenet becomes chief executive
[2]The Bollinger Housechampagne-bollinger.com
Charles-Armand de Belenet was appointed CEO of Champagne Bollinger.
2008
First non-family chairman appointed
[2]The Bollinger Housechampagne-bollinger.com
Jérôme Philipon became chairman, the first leader from outside the family to hold the role.
1994
Ghislain de Montgolfier becomes head of Bollinger
[2]The Bollinger Housechampagne-bollinger.com
A descendant of founder Joseph Bollinger returned the house to direct family leadership.
1992
Charter of Ethics and Quality introduced
[1]Bollingeren.wikipedia.org
Christian Bizot developed a formal charter intended to protect the house’s standards and identity.
1971
Leadership passes to Claude d’Hautefeuille and Christian Bizot
[1]Bollingeren.wikipedia.org
Lily Bollinger’s nephews succeeded her in managing the house.

Showing the 10 most recent.

Products and positioning

Luxury, premium, traditional Champagne with a Pinot Noir-led house style

Non-vintage Champagne
Bollinger Special Cuvée
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, and it serves as the principal entry point to the brand’s luxury range, distributed internationally. Special Cuvée is Bollinger's flagship non-vintage Champagne. It is designed to express the house style consistently across harvests through blending wines from different years, including reserve wines. The cuvée is associated with Bollinger's structured, full-bodied profile and with a prominent role for Pinot Noir. It serves as the principal entry point to the brand's luxury range and is distributed internationally.
Non-vintage rosé Champagne · 2008
Bollinger Rosé
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.
Vintage Champagne · 1976
La Grande Année Rosé
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. Its limited-vintage format places it above the standard non-vintage range in the brand’s portfolio. 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. La Grande Année is Bollinger's principal prestige vintage Champagne. It is produced only from selected harvests rather than being released every year. The wine is intended to reflect the character of its vintage while retaining the house's emphasis on richness, structure, and extended maturation. Its limited-vintage format places it above the standard non-vintage range in the brand's portfolio.
Prestige vintage Champagne · 1967
Bollinger R.D.
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.
Small-production vintage blanc de noirs Champagne · 1969
Vieilles Vignes Françaises
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.
Pinot Noir-focused Champagne · 2018
Bollinger PN
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.
Vintage Champagne
La Côte aux Enfants 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 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.

Marketing campaigns

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. The release extended the 007 partnership into a collectible packaging and limited-edition product program.
Outcome. The release extended the 007 partnership into a collectible packaging and limited-edition product program.
Source
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. The partnership remained a recurring part of Bollinger’s international brand communications.
Outcome. The partnership remained a recurring part of Bollinger’s international brand communications.
Source
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. The placement helped maintain Bollinger’s visibility among international luxury and film audiences.
Outcome. The placement helped maintain Bollinger’s visibility among international luxury and film audiences.
Source
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. The association became one of Bollinger’s most recognizable long-term marketing platforms and continued through later Bond films.
Outcome. The association became one of Bollinger’s most recognizable long-term marketing platforms and continued through later Bond films.
Source
James Bond association
International
Bollinger has maintained a recurring association with the James Bond film series, where its Champagne has appeared as a premium lifestyle product. The partnership connected the brand with the films' themes of sophistication, international travel, and luxury.
Outcome. The association strengthened Bollinger's global luxury positioning and broadened recognition beyond specialist wine audiences.
Source

Brand decisions

2026
Invest in a new central cellar ahead of the 2029 bicentenaryStrategy
Background
Bollinger is preparing for its bicentenary while seeking to preserve quality and traditional know-how for future production.
Action taken
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.
Source
2022
Acquire Domaine Hubert BrochardM&A
Background
The group pursued a broader portfolio of premium wine estates from distinctive French terroirs.
Action taken
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.
Source
2021
Acquire Ponzi Vineyards in OregonM&A
Background
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.
Action taken
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.
Source
1992
Adopt a Charter of Ethics and QualityStrategy
Background
The house sought to formalize the principles governing its production standards, family identity and long-term quality positioning.
Action taken
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.
Source
1963
Develop the recently disgorged prestige-wine conceptProduct launch
Background
At a time when Champagne houses were introducing prestige cuvées, Lily Bollinger sought a distinctive alternative that would emphasize both maturity and freshness.
Action taken
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.
Source
1829
Use the Bollinger name while excluding Villermont from the labelStrategy
Background
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.
Action taken
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.
Source

Recent events

2026
Bollinger opens a new central cellar as part of its bicentenary program[10]Groupe Bollinger current affairsgroupebollinger.fr
Other
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.
2026
Émilien Boutillat appointed incoming cellar master[14]Émilien Boutillat 获任命为候任酒窖主管meininger.de
Leadership change
Bollinger announced that Émilien Boutillat would become cellar master from 1 October 2026, succeeding Denis Bunner, who left the role in June 2026.
2024
Bollinger receives renewal of its Royal Warrant from King Charles III[6]Royal Warrant renewalchampagne-bollinger.com
Other
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.
2022
Bollinger Group expands with the acquisition of Domaine Hubert Brochard[9]Groupe Bollinger acquires Hubert Brochard estategroupebollinger.fr
M&A
Groupe Bollinger announced the acquisition of the historic Hubert Brochard estate in Sancerre, broadening its French wine portfolio beyond Champagne.
2021
Groupe Bollinger acquires Ponzi Vineyards in Oregon[8]The Bollinger Family to Acquire Ponzi Vineyardsgroupebollinger.fr
M&A
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.
2021
Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition released for No Time to Die[11]Special Cuvée 007 Limited Editionspecial-cuvee-007.champagne-bollinger.com
Campaign · Product launch
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.
2021
Bollinger appoints Jean-Baptiste Rivail as CEO of Ponzi Vineyards[15]堡林爵任命让-巴蒂斯特·里瓦伊为庞兹葡萄园首席执行官groupebollinger.fr
Leadership change
Following the acquisition of Ponzi Vineyards, Groupe Bollinger appointed Jean-Baptiste Rivail as chief executive of the Oregon winery.

Sources16 sources

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