The Bollinger Vielle Vigne Francaise is a rare Blanc de Noir champagne from a famous house, remarkable for the fact that the vines, from which the fruit (100% Pinot Noir) originate, are ungrafted. The way the ungrafted plants come into being is also unusual in that they were not raised from seed and planted into the ground; instead the ancient practice of provinage by which the fruiting canes are pushed back into the soil after harvest to bury the growing tip and encourage rooting, so that in the new season the tip roots and gives rise to a "new" plant. This method of planting "en foule" (literally in a crowd) was used up till the end of the 19th century but is only done in a few locations nowadays. Apart from being labour intensive, it also makes the vineyard "migrate" in a certain direction, so that from time to time replanting is needed in the "lee" of the migration.
Initially there were three vineyards from which the fruit originated - two walled vineyards Clos Chaude Terre and Clos St-Jacques in Ay and an unenclosed on Croix Rouge in Bouzy. However, since 2005, phylloxera had caught up with the last vineyard and the production of this unique champagne has shrunk as a result.
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