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
La Paulée Selections - Behind the scenes...
LA PAULÉE SELECTIONS - BEHIND THE SCENES...
By Edouard
4/14/21
LA PAULÉE SELECTIONS - BEHIND THE SCENES...
by Edouard Bourgeois
April 14, 2021
We are thrilled to announce the new edition of La Paulée Selections in partnership with our wine retailer Morrell and the participation of ”Food Siblings Kitchen”.
For this fourth offering of La Paulée Selections, we kept the idea that wine is meant to be enjoyed with great company but also with delicious food. As always, we started off by picking the wines. Here, we decided to highlight the beauty of terroirs, sometimes overlooked, but farmed and vinified by some of the most talented producers in Burgundy. This selection of three white Burgundies features a chiseled Chablis from Eleni et Edouard Vocoret to start, a more lush Chardonnay expression from Saint-Aubin made by Morey-Blanc and finally the “simple” Bourgogne appellation by Domaine Marquis d’Angerville. All these wines are a great showing and truly reflect their place of origin. Being all from the bountiful and expressive 2018 vintage, the tasting experience is defined by instant pleasure and drinkability.
What about the food? We thought it had to be focused on the freshness of these wines while embracing the enchanting spring season. We asked the young and dynamic siblings Candice Bourgeois (yes, my wife!) and her brother Paulie Valetutti to come up with the right dish. Chicken, creamy-crispy, finger-licking, delicious fingerling potatoes quickly turned out to be the dish, but the first element the paired chefs came up with was in fact the sauce, a recipe the siblings created while quarantined together last year. The green sauce is the perfect liaison between the chicken and all three wines.
Max Goldberg Liu was able to capture the footage that will accompany the La Paulée Selections offering.
Order your La Paulée Selections here. The number of packages is limited.
