The truth is, we’ve never sipped an ounce of champagne from this silencer-inspired bottle of Bollinger 002 for 007 Limited Edition Champagne (~$160), which opens only when the code “007” is entered into the gimmicky combination lock. But we have been fortunate enough to taste this particular vintage of Bollinger La Grande Année 2002 once before, and we relished every drop of it. Bollinger’s so-called “La Grande Année” vintages are only produced during exceptional harvests, and 2002 was a very good year.
While all prestige cuvée’s are composed from a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, this particular bottle’s 60/40 blend, 71% of which was harvested from Grand Cru villages and 29% from Premier Crus, contains the highest levels of chardonnay ever. Like the 2000 Grande Année, the 2002 was also allowed to to spend eight years on lees — where the wine remains in contact with dead yeast cells after fermentation, instead of the typical six. The result is an incredibly pure approach at first sip, followed by crisp waves of citrus and lasting notes of spice. In short, it’s everything a pristine champagne should be; you’ll likely have to exercise restraint to avoid pounding your glass. We’re sure it still pales in comparison to the Bollinger 1961 brazenly ordered by Bond in Die Another Day, but it’s one of the finest we’ve ever had the privilege to taste — and certainly worthy of 007’s approval in the bar or the bedroom. Unless you’re a Bond fanatic, we’d recommend skipping this promotional bottle for the real thing instead, since it’ll save you at least $20 in wasted packaging.
Buy Now: ~$160
