Singapore Airlines is making another change to its Champagne selection in the First Class and Suites cabins, with Bollinger 2015 vintage La Grande Année Brut set to be poured in place of Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires from 1st May 2024.
This new addition will continue to form the third Champagne option in these cabins, poured alongside 2012 Taittinger Comtes De Champagne and Krug Grande Cuvée, even on the airline’s shortest flights with a First Class cabin offered.
This follows the removal of Dom Perignon back in November 2022, and the addition of a rotating “guest” Champagne in these cabins since June 2023, a programme that has now formally ceased.
Even for the Blanc des Millénaires fans who may lament this loss, it does mean that SIA will continue to be one of the only airlines in the world offering three different Champagnes in its most exclusive cabins on all flights with First Class or Suites installed, even on the short hop to and from Jakarta.
2015 Bollinger La Grande Année Brut Champagne
The latest Champagne joining the airline’s First Class lineup is the 2015 Bollinger La Grande Année Brut Champagne, a 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay blend made up of 11 crus.
The Champagne had its global launch earlier this month, so Singapore Airlines has secured its supply nice and early with onboard pours beginning on Wednesday next week.
For the Champagne pros, tasting notes are available here.
Here’s how Singapore Airlines describes the Champagne in its menu.
“Bollinger is a remarkable Champagne House. It is the most traditional of all the great Houses, with its long-established vineyards in the region’s best villages, and continues to make wines in old oak barrels from some of Burgundy’s finest estates.
Singapore Airlines
“2015 was very dry and warm, but not blazing hot. Bollinger’s old, deep-rooted Pinot Noir vines in Ay and Verzenay loved these conditions, and these vineyards provided most of the grapes for this wine. You can almost see a hint of blush in its limpid gold colour. The flavors are bold, ripe; yellow peach and golden apple, nectarine and mango, tautened by delightful mandarin orange acidity and the beginnings of hazelnut and brioche richness which will only intensify with time.”
SIA certainly has a thorough description there, but we always preferred Lily Bollinger’s general take on Champagne consumption!
“I drink Champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
Lily Bollinger (1899-1977), Bollinger Champagne
Champagne quality is certainly a subjective topic, subject to individual taste and preference, but this one picks up an impressive 4.5 star rating out of 5 on Vivino based on its initial reviews.
You can pick up a bottle in Singapore for a cool S$307, though Singapore Airlines will no doubt have secured a healthy discount for the large quantities it needs to order.
To our knowledge, SIA will be the only airline in the world pouring vintage Bollinger Champagne in its First Class cabins.
It will certainly be interesting to see what our readers think of the product in the weeks ahead, when flying SIA First Class.
Three Champagnes in First Class
Despite the loss of Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires, Singapore Airlines continues to offer three Champagnes in First Class and Suites, a policy first adopted in June 2023.
Here’s an example inflight menu from Singapore to Frankfurt in early May.
This is a very nice trio to choose from, and will be available on all routes with a First Class or Suites cabin across the network – even on the 90-minute hops to and from Jakarta.
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In The Private Room, SIA’s exclusive lounge for First Class and Suites passengers at Changi Airport T3, it’s the 2012 Tattinger Comtes de Champagne that continues to be offered as the sole option.
Note that you can also order the 2007 Rare Brut Millesime from the First Class SilverKris lounge and the non-vintage Piper Heidsieck Essentiel Extra-Brut from the Business Class SilverKris lounge while in The Private Room, but the two on-board First Class options are currently not offered here.
While that’s remained the case since the new upgraded lounge opened, it will be interesting to see if there’s any Bollinger on offer in the TPR too from next week, or whether it will remain an in-flight option only.
Where is Singapore Airlines flying its First Class and Suites cabins?
16 destinations on the network receive regular Singapore Airlines flights with a First Class and/or Suites cabin on board during the current summer season through to late October 2024, including two “fifth freedom” routes (Frankfurt to New York and Tokyo to Los Angeles).
You can see a full list of routes and flight numbers with these products at our dedicated First Class Seats by Route page.
That list is valid for flights until the end of the northern winter season in late October 2024, with this year’s final winter schedule through to late March 2025 yet to be finalised.
Last month one of the two daily Frankfurt flights upgraded to a Suites cabin, with a daily Airbus A380 service, though this came at the expense of Auckland, which sadly no longer sees a First Class or Suites offering.
Business Class now gets 2015 vintage Piper-Heidsieck
In case you missed the news, in January this year Singapore Airlines brought vintage Piper-Heidsieck Champagne back its Business Class cabins, with the 2014 vintage being poured in place of the Champagne house’s more basic Essentiel Cuvée Réservée Extra Brut.
From 1st May 2024, has will be swapped out for a slightly more recent but still well-rated 2015 vintage of the same Champagne.
While we preferred Charles Heidsieck, which sadly seems to have run dry even on long-haul legs, the Piper is still a very decent pour, and SIA is one of the few airline pouring vintage Champagne in its Business Class cabin, so we’re certainly not complaining!
Summary
Singapore Airlines is adding vintage Bollinger Champagne to its lineup in the First Class and Suites cabins, in the form of the recently launched and well-rated 2015 Bollinger La Grande Année Brut Champagne.
This does come at the loss of 2007 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires, a very well-rated drop that comes in at a similarly high price point.
The carrier continues to pour three varieties of Champagne in its First Class and Suites cabins, with the new Champagne poured alongside 2012 Tattinger Comtes de Champagne and Krug Grande Cuvée.
The airline also continues to offer vintage Champagne in its Business Class cabins, with an upcoming one-year vintage shift to the Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage 2015 from next week.
(Cover Photo: Sphere Magazine)
Actually there are more than 1 champagne option in TPR, when I was there in late march, besides the Comtes, they were pouring Piper 07 Rare Millesime and the also the Brut Essentiel.
Thanks yes you’re right but those are actually the Champagnes for the First Class and Business Class SKLs respectively. You have always been able to request those in the TPR, but now they have formalised them on the menu as well. I’ll add a note on this!