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
January 13, 2022
by Justine Puaud
Carbonic Maceration in Burgundy
Is carbonic maceration associated with Beaujolais? Not always. This technique tends to seduce more and more winemakers from other wine regions to make natural wines but also long aging wines. The carbonic technique is simple. This involves placing the whole berries, not crushed, in an airtight tank saturated with carbon dioxide. This triggers an intracellular fermentation inside the berries, under the action of native enzymes. It brings out the fruity aromas and reduces the tannins of the wines produced.
I recently interviewed Arnaud Laventureux of Domaine Roland Laventureux in Chablis, who made a fantastic and delicious Bourgogne Epineuil with carbonic maceration.
Domaine Roland Laventureux has been an all white wine domaine, producing Chablis only. In 2019, the Laventureux brothers started to make the first red wine of the domaine. They harvested 0.4 ha of pinot noir, producing 350 litres of Bourgogne Épineuil. In 2021, they harvested the whole four hectares of what used to be Domaine des Noisetiers.
Arnaud’s dream was to make Chambolle-Musigny, so to make red wine was always a goal. After many negotiations with the family, he was able to harvest a tiny parcel of pinot noir. It was his chance to make a great pinot noir, not from Chambolle-Musigny but from Épineuil.
Let’s be fair: Épineuil is not well known. The terroir is quite poor and the yield is very low. But as Arnaud’s parcel was really well exposed with a soil rich in limestone and kimmeridgian oysters, he decided to meet the challenge and make the best Épineuil anyone has ever tasted.
Winemaking is a recipe. You follow the instructions and then you add a bit of salt, cream and pepper to make a fantastic dish!
Arnaud’s winemaking technique is totally unique in Épineuil.
In a few words:
Debudding to help concentrate the juice
14 people who sort berry by berry to keep only the best
Maceration for about 1 month and half
Vatting (cuvaison) for more than a week
Aging in stainless steel vats for 1 year and 2 months
The most difficult part in his vinification was to keep a beautiful elegance to the fruit. It was a winning bet. His pinot noir expresses the vintage. There is a beautiful fruit with silkiness and flesh. Bravo Arnaud. We cannot wait to taste the 2020 vintage!
