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?
What’s Pressoir drinking
By Edouard
4/14/21
Chateau Pichon Longueville-Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2005
A few years ago, I acquired a lot at an auction that consisted in a vertical of one of my favorite Bordeaux properties. Often referred to as “Pichon Comtesse”, this second growth on the 1855 ranking system, a classification I agree could use an update, always delivers. The lot I won included a few 2008s, offering excellent balance of tannins and fruit although a bit shy on the palate. A single bottle of 2003 was also part of it and displayed the expected stewy, plummy quality from such an exceptional vintage, remembered for its unusual heat waves in the country, sometimes producing raisiny grapes.
Last Saturday, though, I finally opened the more sought-after 2005 and the only bottle I won in this parcel. That was a reminder that I should drink more Bordeaux. The wine jumped out from the glass, a sign that it achieved a peak in its aging process. While I was decanting it, I could smell the generous aromas of the gorgeous Pauillac. On the nose and the palate, the explosive character was reaffirmed. Lots of irresistible sweet fruit, cigar box and spice mix, all delicately wrapped up in the most noble lacy texture.
As a Burgundy-focused drinker, I often shy away from opening a bottle of Bordeaux because tannins are not my best friends. But, just like the winegrower who harvests the fruit at the perfect maturity, opening a bottle that has reached its peak is a divine experience. Tannins soften up and leave just enough grip to make the wine textured, but not hard.
Bordeaux doesn’t have to be that serious!