Champagne Bollinger has obtained the renewal of the “Living Heritage Company” (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, EPV) label. First awarded the label in 2012, Bollinger was the first Champagne House to be distinguished with this recognition. This renewal highlights the continued commitment of the House to the preservation, enhancement, and transmission of unique craftsmanship.
In 2012, Champagne Bollinger obtained the label, highlighting the company’s continuous efforts in preserving, enhancing, and transmitting unique know-how. Created in 2005 by the French State and awarded by the regional prefect, the EPV label shines a light on companies that successfully combine tradition and innovation, craftsmanship and creativity, heritage and the future, both locally and internationally. It is the only State label awarded to a company for its entire activity, guaranteeing the excellence of its skills. Companies labeled EPV are ambassadors of French artisanal and industrial excellence worldwide. These companies embody and bring to life French craftsmanship, while upholding common values of respect, rigor, and innovation.
As part of this renewal, Bollinger has highlighted skills that span its entire value chain and contribute to its culture of excellence:
– The use of cultivation methods dating back to the 17th century for its “Vieilles Vignes Françaises” vineyard (vines grown in close rows and using the “provignage” technique);
– The presence of an in-house cooper (unique in Champagne) who maintains a stock of 4,000 barrels, handling around 400 barrels annually. He uses traditional tools (some over 200 years old) and ancestral techniques;
– Barrel fermentation of vintage wines;
– Aging of vintage wines under cork with staples, a traditional method of bottle sealing that helps preserve the wines’ aromatic richness;
– Manual riddling and disgorging for vintage cuvées;
– Storing reserve wines in magnums, a unique method in Champagne that ensures the distinctive Bollinger taste and style. The House currently holds a collection of 1,000,000 reserve magnums in its cellars, aging on lees for 7 to 15 years;
– Managing extended aging periods, with aging times that surpass the legal minimums set by the appellation, ranging from at least three years for Special Cuvée to 14 years for Bollinger R.D.
To ensure the longevity of these skills, Bollinger is committed to training the next generations in these specific trades internally.
The renewal of the EPV label, along with the B Corp certification obtained in October 2023, demonstrates that Champagne Bollinger is committed to practices that ensure excellence within its operations. These include the preservation of unique know-how and the promotion of social, environmental, and societal performance, across its three pillars: People, Land, and Roots.