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
News from the Vineyard
Making of a pied de cuve
By Edouard
9/15/21
September 15, 2021
By Edouard Bourgeois
After seeing a recent post from the always informative and beautiful Instagram account of Domaine Lafarge, I wanted to share a few thoughts on the magic of fermentation. In the social post, Clothilde Lafarge shows pictures describing the making of “a pied de cuve”. The French expression translates to “foot of tank” and is basically the winemaking equivalent of a sourdough starter to make bread. The idea is to cultivate local yeasts also referred to as indigenous yeasts, naturally present in the environment of the winery and the vineyard. Without yeasts, the alcoholic fermentation cannot occur and wine cannot be made. It is then essential to pay attention to the quality of these yeasts and their origin. Terroir? Did you say terroir?
The process aims to build a population of viable (alive yeast) and vital (strong) elements in the wild yeast culture in a small volume of wine. This helps the winemaker to complete a clean fermentation (low volatility and reduction, without spoilage yeast or bacteria) that successfully consumes all of the sugars leaving a dry wine.
The process involves picking a small amount of grapes a few days to a week before all of the grapes are going to be picked. The grapes are crushed and allowed to start fermenting. This builds the population of the native yeasts that were present on the grapes. This culture is then added to the rest of the grapes when they are picked.
Using a Pied de Cuve helps start a fermentation quickly, and, through its production of carbon dioxide, to protect the wine or bunches from oxygen exposure and potential production of volatility.
The Pied de Cuve is often built up by adding more fresh juice/grapes to double the volume when the yeast needs more food. This may be undertaken several times. Doing this increases the population of yeast to ensure there are enough to complete the fermentation of the main wine.
Like all things wine, there are thousands of different options for preparing a Pied de Cuve. Using whole bunches, just berries, starting the Pied de Cuve in the winery or in the vineyard, or even adding wild flowers to introduce the native yeast present on those flowers into the Pied de Cuve.ing of Pied de Cuve
Must in fermentation. The CO2 is a byproduct of alcoholic fermentation and forms this foam