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
What's Pressoir Cooking?
Truffle season
Eggs and truffle purée by Chef Jean-Michel Belin of Le Beauvallon Hotel in Provence
by Justine Puaud
January 18, 2023
We are in the middle of the truffle season. The famous truffle market is in Richerenches in France and is open from November to March every year. If you plan to visit the Provence region around this time of year, you have to make a stop there. It is not like a traditional farmer market. You enter a quiet street where there are a dozen mini vans and people will be selling truffles from the back of their cars…
The tuber melanosporum, also called black truffle, is quite strong on the palate. I tried many recipes with truffles and I think overall the simplest recipes are the best (omelette with truffle, pasta with truffle, French coquilles Saint-Jacques carpaccio) But, I have to say, the soft boiled egg with a truffle purée is among my favorites. The mix between truffle, béchamel sauce and madeira makes this recipe just delicious and really enhances the truffle.
Ingredients
12 fresh eggs
120g fresh truffle
30g béchamel sauce (if you don’t know how to make a béchamel, check out this recipe)
40 cl heavy cream
120g of butter
25 cl of madeira
25cl of truffle juice (buy a can of truffle juice from Plantin)
6 slices of bread (ie traditional baguette)
salt and pepper
Instructions
Sauce
Put the eggs and truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator the night before.
Put the eggs in the blender to obtain a very fine purée or cut the truffle into very small pieces.
Make a béchamel.
Then, in the saucepan, reduce the Madeira and truffle juice to dryness, add the cream and the béchamel. Leave to cook for a few minutes, stirring.
Add the truffle purée and the béchamel to the Madeira and truffle juice and leave over low heat for 3 minutes.
Cook the eggs for 3 minutes in salted boiling water. Remove the egg from the shell, then using a teaspoon, remove the little white that is not cooked.
In a frying pan, brown the slices of bread with a little butter, then cut them into "mouillettes" and keep them warm.
It's almost ready to eat. Fill the egg cavity with the truffle purée, dip the bread in the egg with the sauce and enjoy.