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 Cooking?
by Victoire Chabert
March 24, 2022
Gnocchi
Italian gnocchi is a real family affair. In this case, my father’s side of the family is from the South of France which historically shares many cultural aspects with Italy. (My mother's family is from Meursault, whose recipes I will be happy to share with you soon, stay tuned!). I remember, when I was very young, going to my grandparents' house on dark winter days to help my grandmother make the gnocchi that everyone loved. Indeed, she needed little hands to help her make every single gnocchi and that could get the hang of the technique with the fork. You will see in the recipe exactly what I am talking about. Through that repetition, this age-old Italian recipe has become my specialty. Allow me to share the secrets with you...
Ingredients for 4 people
1kg (2.20 lbs) of potatoes (ideally an earthy type)
800g (1.76 lbs) flour
2 eggs
Pinch of salt and pepper
100g (0.2 lb) butter
Materials
Puree press
Spatula
Saucepan
Skimmer
Salad bowl
Large plank
Preparation for the Gnocchi
Put your unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, add a handful of coarse salt, lower the heat and cook at a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes. Check the cooking with the tip of a knife.
Once cooked, don't wait too long before peeling the potatoes, as the dough must remain hot as long as possible to form the gnocchi. In a bowl, mash them with a potato masher.
Gradually add the flour, and eggs, butter, pinch of fine salt and pepper. Start mixing with a spatula, then knead by hand until all the elements are well combined and the dough is smooth. Form a ball and flour your work surface. Be careful, the recipe says 800 g of flour but you may need more or less, depending on the water content of the potatoes. Work your dough for a few minutes but not too long.
Once your dough is ready, cut into a first piece and form a long snake (see photo) and cut your gnocchi to about 2.5 cm (1 Inch) each.
Place each gnocchi on the tines of a fork. Press lightly in the center with your thumb, to create a hollow. It's not that easy at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it. Place your gnocchi on one or more boards, making sure to leave them all flat. You don't want to end up with a big ball of gnocchi sticking together. You can let them rest for a few hours in the fridge or in the open air covered with a dishcloth.
When ready to serve, boil some water in a saucepan and add a pinch of salt. Drop your gnocchi in it and after a few seconds they will rise to the surface, which means they are cooked. Using the skimmer, pick them up and place them on your serving dish. Add the sauce of your choice. My favorite is the Daube sauce (see recipe below) with grated cheese on top but they are also excellent with a tomato basil sauce, pesto or cheese sauce.
For the Daube sauce
Cut up pieces of beef (bourguignon) , flour them and fry them in hot oil with minced onion. Add garlic, some sliced carrots and mushrooms if you like. Season and add a bottle of red wine. There is no need to add a good wine... save the good ones for dinner! You can add a vegetable stock cube and some thyme leaves. Cook gently for 3 hours. It's so good. You can actually use this sauce for gnocchi as well as pastas, raviolis… anything you want.
Bon appetit !