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
Closing Remarks on Opening the Clos
Recap on the wines of Wine Dinner “Opening the Clos”
By Edouard
10/13/21
by Edouard Bourgeois
October 13, 2021
For those of you who were not able to join us at Benoit for this great wine dinner, here are some notes I wanted to share about the whole experience.
I thought the lineup was pretty impressive with, as always, a few bottles that stood out. Here are a few of my "favorites".
The wine dinner, as French as snails in garlic, (although we didn't get to enjoy this delicacy) started with a flight of the unique Champagne Philipponnat's Prestige Cuvée Clos des Goisses. It didn't come as a surprise that the 1996 affirmed its alluring personality and illustrated the powerful nature of the vintage eloquently and probably won wine of the flight (or wine of the night?). However, the other vintages certainly showed a promising future.
I loved the flight of 2017 red Burgundies that followed. I truly am a fan of the vintage and if typically in that wine region, I tend to think a vintage is more favorable to either the Chardonnay or the Pinot Noirs, I think 2017 touched both colors with grace. Although last night's 2017's were only red, I do encourage you to try some of the whites from the Cote de Beaune, they are very fine in my opinion. The winner on that flight? My vote goes to the Drouhin Clos Vougeot 2017. Once again, the respected négociant house confirmed its ability to offer elegance and delicate fruit even from a vineyard like Clos Vougeot, known for its robustness.
We then moved on to the "warm vintages flight" to accompany the mouth-watering, ultra classic "poulet-frites" as I like to call it. 2018 and 2015 certainly produced deep coloured Pinot Noir with broad shoulders. I thought that the Aloxe-Corton from Morey-Blanc was a hit. Ranked Premier Cru in the ocean of Grand Cru that surrounds it makes this plot "Clos du Chapitre" easy to overlook. However, I thought it was in a great spot, balanced and plump, without overwhelming heat.
We wrapped up with three opulent wines with the cheese course. Back to another Clos Vougeot, I was impressed with the volume and complexity of Hudelot-Noellat's 2015. We often talk about the location of one's vineyards within the vast Clos Vougeot appellation. Charles Van Canneyt of Hudelot-Noellat is lucky to own a parcel further up the hill, in arguably the best corner. As they say: "location, location, location"...
