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? Echezeaux Study at Anton's
August 17, 2021
by Raj Vaidya
Who says August in NYC is too hot to drink red wine (and a few Grand Cru whites)?
Last week we decided that a 97 degree evening in the summer was the perfect environment to do a study of the Grand Cru vineyard Echezeaux! A slightly overheated, yet perfectly enthusiastic group of merrymakers assembled with Daniel and me at Anton’s in Greenwich Village, one of my favorite neighbourhood restaurants.
We started out with a delicious magnum of Champagne Delamotte, just to cool off a bit, and followed that with a flight of Grand Cru white Burgundies. This proved refreshing for sure, but the group was eager to move onto red before too long…
To begin, a vertical of Domaine Jean Grivot’s Echezeaux, featuring the lauded 2009, 2010 and 2012 vintages. The 2010 was totally the star this evening, showing more energy and balance than the somewhat overly rich ’09 and the slightly shy and austere ’12. Bursting with notes of cola and spice from a noticeable yet pleasant bit of oak.
The next flight was an exciting and surprising one, featuring Pierre Duroché’s rare negociant bottling of this Grand Cru from 2017, which showed tremendous vibrancy and elegance which is the hallmark of that vintage, alongside the somewhat burlier examples from 2012 via the Domaines d’Eugenie and Romanée-Conti. The Eugenie over delivered, from the parcel historically known from the former ownership, the Réné Engel estate, with a dense core of fruit and great length on the palate. The Romanée-Conti performed beautifully as well, the only wine in this flight to use whole cluster fermentation which certainly made it stand out even more.
The fireworks were ignited with the last flight, from one of my longstanding favorites in Burgundy, the Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg. These bottles showed phenomenally well, with the 2014 a bit reticent and quiet at first but blossoming well, the 2010 showing tremendous breadth and minerality and the surprising wine of the night, for me at least, the 2008. An often underrated and underappreciated vintage, this 08 showed none of the vegetal or overly acidic notes of the vintage, but rather expressed perfect harmony and precision and remained on my palate for hours afterwards, and in the front of my mind well into the next morning!
The wines:
Domaine Louis Michel Vaudésir Chablis Grand Cru 2017
Etienne Sauzet Bienvenues Bâtard Montrachet Grand Cru 2017
Domaine de Montille Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2017
Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux Grand Cru 2010
Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux Grand Cru 2012
Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux Grand Cru 2009
Domaine Duroche Echezeaux Grand Cru 2017
Domaine d’Eugenie Echezeaux Grand Cru 2012
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 2012
Domaine Georges Mugneret Gibourg Echezeaux Grand Cru 2014
Domaine Georges Mugneret Gibourg Echezeaux Grand Cru 2010
Domaine Georges Mugneret Gibourg Echezeaux Grand Cru 2008
What's Pressoir Drinking?
What’s Pressoir Drinking
By Edouard
6/9/21
June 9, 2021
by Edouard Bourgeois
Domaine de l’Arlot Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru 1993
Recently at Chef Daniel Boulud’s newest Manhattan restaurant, Le Pavillon, I tasted this glorious red Burgundy from Domaine de l’Arlot. This 1993 was made by the well respected Jean-Pierre de Smet, whose winemaking career inspires many in the field.
The domaine's recent history remains marked by his influence. Jean-Pierre ran the domaine for almost two decades. In January 2007, he handed over the direction of the domaine to Christian Seely, who entrusted technical management first to Olivier Leriche, then to Jacques Devauges in August 2011, and later to Géraldine Godot in September 2014.
The celebrated Grand Cru of Romanée-St-Vivant is one of the top vineyards in the world for Pinot Noir. Founded in 1098, the Abbey of Citeaux has made a lengthy contribution to the extension of vines in Burgundy. The monks of Saint-Vivant de Vergy were very much involved in this, so much so that this vineyard in the Côte de Nuits was named after them.
The first vintage of this wine to be produced by Domaine de l'Arlot was 1991.
1993 can be a tricky vintage for red Burgundy, typically marked by strong acidity which can translate to firmness and austerity. However this bottle was not showing that character. Instead, black fruits and just a touch of forest floor aromas defined this incredibly fresh and vivid wine. I would not have guessed that it was an almost 30 year old bottle. Great length and a salivating tension made for a delightful tasting experience.
