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
2/27/23
Edouard Bourgeois
March 1, 2023
When I moved to the US in 2008, one of my motivations as a sommelier was to learn about American wines. Soon I had my first sip of Cabernet Sauvignon from Ridge Vineyards and I was sold. But the most surprising discovery for me was Ridge’s Zinfandel. I have been a fan of Ridge wines ever since and I am always on a hunt for an old bottle of their Zinfandel. Although I am not typically a fan of big, bold flavor wines, I have always found a great energy in these wines and the powerful character of the grape variety never speaks too loudly, letting terroir express itself.
30 years ago, Ridge made its first Monte Bello, now a legendary US Meritage. Two years later, Ridge bottled their first Zinfandel. The winery has been on a constant hunt for California’s ideal vineyard so the climate, soil, and varietal are perfectly matched. To bring the distinctive character of each vineyard to the wine, they use minimal handling that is typical of traditional winemaking.
I recently acquired a bottle of a 1991 Beatty Vineyard Zinfandel from the online Acker auction and opened it last week. Ridge is known for their numerous experiments with different grape varieties and vineyards, and it is easy to get lost on their website trying to navigate the plethora of wines that have been made there. Because of that diverse portfolio, some cuvées were made only a few times before a vineyard got replanted or a lease ended. This Beatty vineyard is a good example of that, having been made only four times, in 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1991.
Though Howell Mountain is on the dry side of Napa Valley, and the open, chaparral-covered slopes seem to bake in the August sun, this is a cool microclimate. With a late start and full crop in 1991, these grapes did not ripen completely until the first week of November. Anticipating firm tannins, the winery used small, five-ton fermentors; a third of the grapes in each tank were whole clusters. This approach adds a floral, bright fruit character, and Petite Sirah contributes spice and structure.
Paul Draper in 2014
Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon when it placed fifth at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. I was blessed to meet this true gentleman in 2013 at Cafe Boulud during a marvelous Ridge wine dinner and later during a visit at the Santa Cruz winery.
The Beatty 1991 was everything I love about Old Zinfandel. The nose at first was a touch dirty and not completely homogeneous with a touch of dusty old library. But the fruit started to blossom quickly with aeration and displayed stewed plum and roasted berries with the signature of herbs and spices that makes the greater Zinfandel very unique wines.
Ridge Winery
What's Pressoir Drinking
What’s Pressoir Drinking
By Edouard
12/15/21
December 15, 2021
Edouard Bourgeois
Whenever I tell my friends I had a great bottle of Zinfandel, I really enjoy watching the surprise on their faces while their eyebrows reach the middle of their forehead. However, the ones who know me well also know that I am usually referring to one of the most serious producers in California when it comes to Zinfandel. And that is Ridge Vineyards.
The multi-estate enterprise cultivates vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Sonoma County and Paso Robles. It is the largest grower of certified organic grapes in the appellations of Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The business was founded in 1959 when three Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyards had been planted in the late 19th century by a San Francisco physician who produced his first vintage in the original winery, called Monte Bello, in 1892. The first Ridge vintage was in 1962. For more than 50 years Ridge’s winemaker and CEO was Paul Draper, a legendary figure in California winemaking I was lucky to meet in my early years as a sommelier in New York. Mr. Draper retired in 2016 but the estate still produces excellent wines.
If Zinfandel is mostly known for the affordable and mass produced “White Zin” which by the way accounts for 85% of the wine made, the red wines produced from that varietal is typically very bold, spicy and dark. I’ve always thought of it as a jacked up Chateauneuf du Pape.
Another name for Zinfandel is Primitivo, which is found in Italy. But actually its Croatian name of origin is Tribidrag. Useful geeky information…
I opened the bottle pictured below a week ago to accompany a juicy roasted pork shoulder (not pictured as it disappeared too quickly). The wine was impressively youthful, still very powerful but with so much nuance. This particular cuvée was made from fruits grown in the Jimsomare Ranch, just below the Ridge property. Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot and Chardonnay vines are planted there with the Bordeaux varieties most often making it into the Monte Bello blend. Most of the Zinfandel vines on the property date back to 1884 and the first Zinfandel made on the ranch was in 1968. Ridge also bottles wines for its Advance Tasting Program (ATP), a wine club founded in 1977, from the Jimsomare fruit and that bottle was one of them.
This was delicious and surely a great choice for the cold months of the holidays and to pair that comfort food we are all craving.
