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
Pressoir Dinner Recap - Domaine Bernard Morey
Pressoir Dinner Recap - Domaine Bernard Morey
by Edouard
8/11/23
Edouard Bourgeois
August 10, 2023
While too many white Burgundies have been prone to premature oxidation since the mid-90’s, we were incredibly happy with how pristine all the wines from Bernard Morey were a couple weeks ago at Popina. On that hot and humid night in Brooklyn, all twelve jeroboams we opened were phenomenal, without exception. We focused on three vintages, very distinctive ones too. 2000, known for the heat that in many cases gave birth to chubby whites; 2001, a challenging year some like to call a “millesime de vigneron” where talent is key to succeed and finally 2002, the “easy” vintage that gave an abundant harvest of healthy grapes, a blessing from Bacchus.
All the wines showed greatness and purity, a very welcome feature on such a hot night!
As the family name Morey is quite common in Burgundy and especially in Chassagne, a little family tree recap might be useful. Bernard Morey made his last vintage in 2006 and his vineyards were then split between his two sons Vincent and Thomas. Each brother has been making wine in their own style, Vincent at his dad’s winery and Thomas at Bernard’s father winery (Albert Morey). Albert is in fact the one who started it all. His son Bernard created his eponymous domaine but another son Jean-Marc Morey did the same. Jean-Marc then had a daughter, Caroline Morey, who married Pierre-Yves Colin, the man behind PYCM, one of the most famous wine domaine acronyms after DRC…
Welcome glass: Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Vide Bourse" 2002
As this climat was the only vintage we had, we decided to pour it first as what we like to call ‘l’apéro’. Vide-Bourse is a serious wine though and not very often seen. Of Bernard’s two sons, it is Thomas who got to tend the vineyard of Vide Bourse and only Marc Colin, Fernand Pillot and Gabriel Jouard share the rest of the climat. Just below the authoritative Batard Montrachet, Vide Bourse is sometimes referred to as the ‘petit Batard’.
First flight:
Bernard Morey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Truffière" 2002
Bernard Morey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Truffière" 2001
Bernard Morey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Truffière" 2000
It seems obvious to start with the only flight of Puligny as the wines are typically brighter and weightless. Truffiere is perched high up on the slope just below the Hameau de Blagny, and it is apparently where truffles grow, hence the name. Benoit Ente or Jean-Marc Boillot also make wine there. I found the 2000 to be very charming despite the usual style of the vintage. It had a bit of extra fluff that the wine wore well.
Second flight:
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Morgeot" 2002
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Morgeot" 2000
With a total of 58 hectares, Morgeot is arguably the most famous climat of Chassagne. It is in fact so large that it is divided into different lieux-dit; a similar situation is seen in the Clos Vougeot. While Morgeot is famous for making some of the best red Chassagne, this flight didn’t disappoint and once again here, I found the 2000 to be the most compelling of the three wines, as it displayed elegance and a long finish.
Third flight:
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Baudines" 2002
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Embrazées" 2001
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Baudines" 2000
If Morgeot is often associated with red wine, then Baudines is undoubtedly a white wine terroir. The abundance of limestone gives the irresistible salinity white Burgundy lovers can’t get enough of. Baudines is part of the Bois de Chassagne and its lowest vines are planted at an altitude of 300 meters. However, despite its location at the top of the slope, the topsoil is still quite rich. Both vintages were pitch perfect, in their own individual way. Embrazées, sometimes spelled Embazées, is the most famous wine of Bernard Morey because he was almost the sole owner, sharing the rest of the climat with Domaines Prieur Brunet and Gauffroy who own 2 small plots. Embrazées is also part of the Bois de Chassagne and is in fact right below Baudines. The soil is surprisingly poorer in Embrazées. I found the 2001 to be a tad ‘hot’ on the finish but certainly very pleasing.
Fourth flight:
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Caillerets" 2002
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Caillerets" 2001
Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Caillerets" 2000
A familiar term in the Côte d’Or, Cailleret refers to the high concentration of limestone suggesting the presence of a quarry and the promise of high minerality in wine made under that climat name. Once again high up on the slope, Chassagne Cailleret was once planted with Pinot Noir but Chardonnay reigns supreme now. 2002 was my wine of the night, perfectly balanced and precise. Once again, 2001 showed a touch of heat like the Embrazees that same year and surprisingly it is the 2000 that appeared cleaner with sharp acidity.
