Although they are masters of glamorous on-screen product placement (think James Bond and Ab Fab), Bollinger have always seemed a little less theatrical than some champagne houses. But a tasting last month at their home in Aÿ was the stage for a spectacular unveiling of some gloriously mature vintages discovered during an inventory of the company’s seven cellars.
During this process, which began in 2010, they discovered an abandoned cellar containing a stash of reserve wines, in bottle and magnum, hidden behind a wall of empty bottles. Most they were able to identify while some remained a mystery until the...