1996 in champagne. what happened?

by Edouard Bourgeois
November 21, 2025

Ratings for 1996 often use words like "exceptional" and "grandiose," with some comparisons to 1928. What made 1996 objectively unique was the high average potential alcohol (10.3%) combined with high total acidity (10g/litre)—figures rarely seen together. As Charles Philipponnat noted, this is a significant jump from the 9.3% potential alcohol common forty years prior.

Acidity and potential alcohol work together for balance, but typically, when one is high, the other is low. In 1996, both figures were high. Bruno Paillard called it a 'naughty boy' vintage due to its unpredictable nature and the anxiety it caused producers while waiting for acidity levels to drop. However, the result for those with patience is "fantastic."

While acidity is key for aging, the true test is time. Over two decades later, the remaining 1996 bottles reveal which producers succeeded. The best examples are still complex and alluring, where the high acidity is balanced by a wide range of aromas, from brioche to stone fruit. Unfortunately, some other bottlings show only residual acidity, resulting in unbalanced and tart wines.

I recall opening a glorious bottle of 1996 Cristal for my son's birth seven years ago; the wine was still vibrant and charged.

Another fabulous example was made by Krug. As Olivier Krug said, "It’s a year where a good house or a good winemaker will make a good wine... It’s a tricky vintage." Other industry professionals have shared similar sentiments, noting that some vintners either opted out of making a vintage bottling or failed to achieve balance, resulting in wines that are already clumsy or tired.

The 1996 vintage often draws comparisons to its predecessor, 1995. These were the last two great Champagne vintages following the 1988, 1989, and 1990 trio. The 1996s are powerful wines; the best combine weight from ripeness with tension from acidity, providing the interest, complexity, and structure needed for long-term aging.

Interestingly, more houses released 1995 as a vintage Champagne than 1996, with a ratio of roughly 60% (1995) to 40% (1996).

Given its unpredictability, the safest bet for 1996 Champagne remains to go with producers you trust.

While looking for pictures of 1996 Champagne on my IPhone, I also found several other wines from various regions where the 1996 vintage truly shone, as seen in images below;jbgories

Raj Vaidya 2/24/22 Raj Vaidya 2/24/22

SCENES FROM THE SOMMELIER SCHOLARSHIP TRIP TO CHAMPAGNE (Part Deux)

Wednesday, February 23

by Raj Vaidya

As Max mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we have been hard at work formalizing our new 501(c)3 organization called the Sommelier Scholarship Fund. Last week I had the pleasure of hosting (and chauffeuring) 4 young sommeliers on their first trip to the region of Champagne, and it was an absolute blast! I have always said that I’ve learned much more about wine by standing next to a barrel than from reading any book on the subject, and these four scholars really had a crash course in their education on Champagne…

I was joined by Peter Liem and Pascaline Lepeltier to introduce the region in all its splendor. With Pascaline piping in often with astute questions and Peter providing context and critical direction during and in between visits, we had the chance to really dig into the subjects that are at the forefront of Champagne winemaking and viticulture, for example the rise of organic farming and the use of dosage in crafting the balance of these wines.

It was the first trip to Champagne for each of them, and so maybe the best part for me was watching them discover the people of the region, from the easy rapport enjoyed with Mathieu Billecart, to a conversation that swung from lees aging to hip hop music with Fred Panaiotis, and their wide eyes at the spectacle of Pascal Agrapart sharing a 1991 Cuvée Mineral or Vincent Laval disgorging a bottle for us to taste ‘ala volé’.

We shared a number of our photos and experiences on our new social media channel @sommelierscholarship, if you don’t already follow us there, please do! We will continue to chronicle more as we delve into our mission to educate via experience and human exchange…

To recap Max’s report from last week; the scholars were:

Femi Oyediran - Graft Wine Bar, Charleston SC
Luis Garcia - Per Se, New York NY
Ryanna Kramer - Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder CO
Dwight Alexander Phyall - Roots Fund Scholar

and we visited:

Champagne Moussé-Fils, Cuisles
Champagne Tarlant, Oeuilly
Champagne Agrapart, Avize
Champagne Pierre Péters, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier, Vertus
Champagne Salon / Champagne Delamotte, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Henriot, Pierry
Champagne Billecart-Salmon, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Philipponnat, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Ruinart, Reims
Champagne Bérêche & Fils, Ludes
Champagne Georges Laval, Cumières
Champagne Chartogne-Taillet, Merfy

Interested in supporting the Sommelier Scholarship Fund? Email us.
The Sommelier Scholarship Fund is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law.

Max Goldberg Liu 2/18/22 Max Goldberg Liu 2/18/22

Scenes from the Sommelier Scholarship Trip to Champagne

Raj is in Champagne with four Sommelier-Scholars

Friday, February 18

You may have seen our announcement that our “Sommelier Scholarship” trips and activities we have been hosting for a number of years are now officially organized under a new 501(c)3 organization called the Sommelier Scholarship Fund.

Our first trip under the umbrella of the new organization is underway in Champagne! Raj has joined Peter Liem and Pascaline Lepeltier in guiding four well-deserving sommelier scholars through the region, visiting some of the top producers.

It is the first trip to Champagne for each of them, and it is such a rewarding experience for us to bring the terroir and winemakers to life for the scholars, who have great passion for the wines that grew through much tasting and studying at home in the US.

This trip’s scholars are:

Femi Oyediran - Graft Wine Bar, Charleston SC
Luis Garcia - Per Se, New York NY
Ryanna Kramer - Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder CO
Dwight Alexander Phyall - Roots Fund Scholar

They are visiting: