Only once in a great while, a vintage that's extraordinary comes along in the Champagne region. 1996 was such a vintage. Richard Juhlin, the noted Swedish Champagne authority, in his new book, "4000 Champagnes" (Flammarion, 2005), calls 1996 "one of the great vintages of all time," and I am inclined to agree, based on the 1996s that I have tasted so far.
Why is 1996 so great for Champagne? Mother Nature came through big time for the Champenois, providing excellent weather throughout a very dry summer, with intense sunshine and very warm temperatures from mid-August through mid-September. It was a most unusual vintage in that the grapes combined great acidity with high sugar levels, a rarity in the region. A bountiful harvest took place at the perfect time, in late September.
The 1996s have everything it takes for superb quality in Champagne: besides great acidity and extraordinary fruit, they have power and exceptional length on the palate.
The one caveat, which is true of all great vintages, is that most 1996 Champagnes need time; you should hold on to the best of them for another six to ten years. If you want immediate pleasure, buy non-vintage Champagne, or the 1998s, which are attractive already. Or if you're fortunate enough to have access to older vintages, both the 1989s and most of the 1990s are perfect for drinking now.
In "4000 Champagnes," Juhlin goes so far as to compare 1996 with 1928, which most Champagne writers, including me, consider the greatest vintage ever. In fact, the one greatest Champagne I ever drank was 1928 Krug, still very much alive after 70+ years. For those readers who are into old Champagnes (my wife and I are old Champagne freaks or geeks, whichever applies), here is my list of the greatest Champagne vintages, from youngest to oldest:
SUPERB: 1996, 1990, 1985, 1966, 1964, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1928, 1921
MERELY GREAT: 1988, 1982, 1979, 1914
During the past year, I've tasted eleven 1996 Champagnes; never have my ratings been so high for a group of Champagnes as they are for these '96s. My lowest-rated Champagne received 91 points; my highest-rated, 99. Of course, it didn't hurt that six out of the eleven Champagnes are prestige cuvées, usually the greatest bubbly a Champagne house produces. My eleven included three blanc de blancs (100 percent Chardonnay), one of which is also a prestige cuvée, and three vintage bruts. Retail prices vary a great deal for Champagne, depending upon the city and the store; the one great bargain in this group is the '96 Duval-Leroy Blanc de Blancs, at around $40. The prestige cuvées are all priced over $100, with the '96 Roederer Cristal the most expensive, at about $195.
The following are my tasting notes on '96 Champagnes, all of them listed in alphabetical order, along with my rating:
Bollinger, Grande Année Brut Champagne (France) 1996 ($100, Paterno Imports): The combination of Bollinger and 1996 has produced what you would expect: the '96 Grande Année, 70 percent Pinot Noir and 30 percent Chardonnay, is a blockbuster; it is rich, powerful and biscuity, with excellent acidity; it begs for another five or six years of aging before it really shows its stuff. Bollinger is always one of the most full-bodied, Pinot-dominated Champagnes, and is dry enough to make a perfect companion with main course entrées, such as veal or chicken. 95
Deutz, Classic Brut Champagne (France) 1996 ($60, Maisons, Marques & Domaines): Rich, firm and concentrated, with great acidity, this can be consumed now, but should improve for four or five years. It is 60 percent Pinot Noir, 10 percent Pinot Meunier, 30 percent Chardonnay. (This fine house's two prestige cuvées, the Cuvée William Deutz and Cuvée William Deutz Rosé, both super-stars, are also soon available as 1996s, and should be sublime). 91
Duval-Leroy, Blanc de Chardonnay Champagne (France) 1996 ($39 to $41, Bayfield Importing): This huge, privately-owned house, run by another of the famed Champagne widows, Carol Duval-Leroy, is making some of the greatest value Champagnes today. The Duval-Leroy '96 Blanc de Blancs is probably the single finest buy you can find among the 1996s. Duval-Leroy's house style is normally light and elegant, and the '96 Blanc de Chardonnay (as they call it), fits the style exquisitely; it is lively, with a fine, persistent mousse, has very lemony, spicy aromas and flavors, a creamy texture, and the richness of the vintage. It's almost ready to drink; it should be perfect in a year or two. 91
Gosset, Grand Millésimé Brut Champagne (France) 1996 ($80 to $85, Palm Bay Imports): Gosset, a small house purchased by Renaud-Cointreau in 1994, is my candidate for the most underrated Champagne house; its bubblies, from its NV Grand Réserve Brut to its ethereal prestige cuvée, Célébris, are among the Champagnes I personally consume and serve the most. The 1996 Grand Millésimé, 62 percent Chardonnay and 38 percent Pinot Noir, is classic Gosset in style: rich, powerful, very concentrated, dry, fresh, with great structure and length; this full-bodied beauty, with hints of nutmeg and cumin aromas, will be at its best in two or three years, but should age well for ten more years. 95
Moët & Chandon, "Cuvée Dom Pérignon" Champagne (France) 1996 ($145, Moët-Hennessy USA): Richard Geoffroy, Dom Pérignon's brilliant winemaker, has hit a home run with the '96 Dom; it's as good if not better than his other masterpiece, the '90 DP. Moët's flagship Champagne, 50 percent Pinot Noir and 50 percent Chardonnay--the biggest-selling prestige cuvée in the U.S. and in the world--is sometimes maligned by tasters who don't understand that complex Champagnes, like great Bordeaux or Barolo, must be given time--a minimum of 10 to 15 years--to develop and mature (the '90 Dom is drinking beautifully now). I've tasted the '96 Dom three times, and it's a powerhouse; intense, rich, and concentrated, with great acidity but also very harmonious, with excellent balance between fruit and acidity, and exceptional length. It should peak in five or six years, but will have 40 years of good drinking. (Advance word is that the '98 Dom is also awesome). 98
Nicolas Feuillate, "Palmes d'Or" Champagne (France) 1996 ($120, Pasternak Imports): The 1996 Palmes d'Or is the greatest Nicolas Feuillate Champagne that I've ever tasted. In the past, Nicolas Feuillate's prestige cuvée has not always lived up to its reputation, but the '96, 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Pinot Noir, combines elegance and richness, with toasty, mushroomy, spicy aromas and a hint of lemon rind; ready to drink now, but will improve with two or three more years of aging. (The 1997 Palmes d'Or Rosé, by the way, is absolutely delicious, and is Feuillate's best rosé ever). 94
Perrier-Jouët, "Fleur de Champagne" Champagne (France) 1996 ($140, Allied Domecq): Perrier-Jouët's top Champagne, in the popular "flower bottle," is the second-largest selling prestige cuvée in the U.S. The 1996--50 percent Chardonnay, 45 percent Pinot Noir, and 5 percent Pinot Meunier, is richer than most Fleur de Champagnes, but with excellent acidity. It has the classic PJ elegant style, thanks to its old-vine Chardonnay grapes; mushrooms predominate in the flavor. A classy Champagne that can be consumed now, but will be better in four or five years. By the way, Perrier-Jouëts newest member of the Fleur de Champagne family, the Blanc de Blancs in the clear bottle, might be PJ's best Champagne yet. 94
Pol Roger, Blanc de Chardonnay Champagne (France) 1996 ($75, Frederick Wildman and Sons): Pol Roger is the other great underrated Champagne house. Its Blanc de Blancs is invariably one of the finest Champagnes in its category; the '88 and '90 Pol Roger Blanc de Chardonnays, for example, are both sublime. Moreover, Pol Roger Champagnes always have fantastic longevity. The '96 is fresh and youthful, with lemony undertones and lots of finesse; at this point, it's not quite as great as the '88 and '90 Blanc de Chardonnays, but it does need about three more years to develop. 94
Louis Roederer, "Cristal" Champagne (France) 1996 ($185 to $195, Maisons, Marques & Domaines): Champagne doesn't get much better than Cristal; in the great vintages, it has no peer. Louis Roederer has been making Cristal as a dry prestige cuvée only since the end of World War II, but since then, this house has made some of the world's greatest Champagnes. In addition, the Cristal Rosé, along with Krug's, is the paragon for this category. The greatest wine of any type that I have consumed during the past two years was the 1985 Cristal, a 100-point Champagne, which I enjoyed last Thanksgiving. The 1996 Cristal is almost as good, even now, in its infancy; 55 percent Pinot Noir and 45 percent Chardonnay, the '96 Cristal stood out like a beacon at a recent Champagne luncheon of prestige cuvees. Its intense, honeyed flavors penetrate the palate and are backed with piercing acidity. I strongly recommend that you do not drink the '96 Cristal for another ten years; it will need that much time to mature. The '82 Cristal, along with the '85, is perfect now. 99
Taittinger, "Comtes de Champagne" Blanc de Blancs Champagne (France) 1996 ($140, Kobrand): Taittinger, along with Salon and Krug, sets the standard for blanc de blancs Champagne. The 1996 I tasted was in magnum (the retail price above is for a 750 ml bottle). The '96 Comtes is a thoroughbred, with great structure, finesse, and concentration; it is powerful and very fresh, tasting especially young in the magnum. It exudes class, what you would expect from this prestige cuvée, clearly Taittinger's flagship. It might need another ten years to fully mature, but will drink well for up to 30 years. 96
Veuve Clicquot, "La Grande Dame" Champagne (France) 1996 ($140, Moët-Hennessy USA): Veuve Clicquot, the second-largest Champagne house after Moët & Chandon, really shines with its Gold Label Vintage Brut and its La Grande Dame (the latter also made as a rosé). Always known for its full-bodied, Pinot Noir-dominated Champagnes, Veuve continues in this tradition with the '96 Dame. This prestige cuvée is 65 percent Pinot Noir, 7 percent Pinot Meunier, and 28 percent Chardonnay. The '96, the best Dame since the magnificent '88, is rich, broad-shouldered, toasty, and nutty, with excellent concentration of fruit and great length. It needs another eight years, and should develop into one of the great La Grande Dames. 96
Three important 1996 Champagnes have not been released yet--and judging by their track records, all should be remarkable: Krug, Salon, and Pol Roger "Sir Winston Churchill." In Krug's case, the current vintage is only the 1990; Salon's 1995 and Sir Winston's 1995 are the current vintages, and so these two houses should unveil their 1996s soon.
