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 Drinking?
WHAT'S PRESSOIR DRINKING?
by Raj Vaidya
August 11, 2021
A celebration this past weekend gave me an awesome opportunity to taste a bottle from the storied producer Soldera, an icon of Brunello di Montalcino. It’s not often I get to taste these any more, partially because I’m no longer opening bottles all week long in a restaurant but mostly because his wines have become increasingly rare after a tragic act of vandalism destroyed a large part of his production in 2012, and he subsequently has released only tiny quantities of bottles. But this example from the late 90’s proved to be an absolute treat.
The 1998 vintage was hardly heralded in Tuscany, overshadowed by the high-point-scoring 1997’s and a tad hard and austere when released young. But this wine proved that the vintage had all the material and vivacity to balance out the high acid and tannin levels that lay underneath.
Notes of dried cherries and lavender, hints of hay and tobacco, yet still with robust freshness and floral fruit. The richness of the wine not withstanding, this felt like a fine and elegant Barolo on the palate. The length was immense too!
