WINE OF THE WEEK

Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut Champagne

($39; France)

Tastes Like Honey, apple and citrus, with vanilla, coffee and smoky mushroom on the finish. The bouquet is of grilled nuts and bread.

Grape Varieties60 percent pinot noir, 25 percent chardonnay, 15 percent pinot meunier.

What's Special About It Although Special Cuvee is classified as a standard non-vintage brut, it has the authoritative flavors of a top-of-the-line champagne such as Dom Perignon, Roederer Cristal and Krug Grand Cuvee.

Serve With Veal and poultry recipes using mushrooms or truffles.

How It's Made While most champagne houses use modern, temperature-controlled stainless-steel fermentation tanks, Bollinger uses traditional oak barrels for the first fermentation, which adds a warm, toasty character. Bollinger also uses a high percentage of older reserve wines, which are added to younger wines for the second fermentation in the bottle.

Winery Bollinger has been owned and managed by the same family since it was founded in 1829, a rarity in today's era of corporate control. Bollinger relies on its own vineyards for nearly two-thirds of its grapes, an unusually high percentage for a major house.

Geography The Champagne region is a glorious fluke of nature. Its dry, chalky soil is almost useless for growing anything but vines, and it is situated so high in the northern latitudes that the grapes can barely ripen. The complex mineral notes from the soil and the steely acidity imparted by the cold climate combine to create a vibrant and complex sparkler unlike any other in the world.

On the Label"By appointment to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II Purveyors of Champagne, Champagne Bollinger S.A." Queen Victoria granted Bollinger the Royal Warrant as Official Champagne to the Court in 1884. The connection with the Brits remains strong. Winston Churchill guzzled with abandon, and James Bond's Aston Martin sports a refrigerated bottle in the center console.

Vintage Note Bollinger Special Cuvee is a non-vintage brut, or, more aptly, a multi-vintage blend. Blending of vintages is used by virtually all champagne houses to maintain a consistent house style from year to year.

Historical Sip Bollinger owns the vineyard that produced Thomas Jefferson's favorite wine from champagne. However, unlike most champagnes today, it was a still wine.

Where to Get It Bollinger is imported nationally by Paterno Wines International and is widely available in area retail shops. For more information on availability, check http://www.paternowines.com/locator.