Delve into the captivating world of Champagne as we embark on a journey through three decades of vintage exploration. From the exceptional to the challenging, the years 1990 to 2020 have woven a tapestry of unique stories reflecting the region’s ever-changing climate, terroir, and the unwavering dedication of its producers. Join me, as we unravel the nuances of each vintage and uncover the qualities that make them distinct, providing invaluable insights for both aficionados and newcomers alike. Santé to the elegance and allure of Champagne!
The 1990 vintage in Champagne is one to be celebrated, with a near-perfect growing season yielding grapes of exceptional ripeness and concentration. As the wines age, they continue to reveal a harmonious balance between power and finesse, exhibiting the beautiful interplay between Pinot Noir’s richness and Chardonnay’s vivacity. For maximum enjoyment, allow these wines ample time in the cellar to develop their full complexity.
A challenging year for Champagne, 1991 was marked by uneven ripening and widespread rot. However, diligent producers who painstakingly selected only the finest grapes managed to create wines with surprising depth and purity. While some of these Champagnes may offer enjoyable drinking, they are best consumed in their youth rather than cellared for the long term.
The 1992 vintage in Champagne was shaped by a mild winter, early budburst, and a rainy summer, culminating in a harvest that was somewhat lacking in both quantity and quality. Despite these challenges, a handful of diligent producers crafted wines with notable freshness and delicate fruitiness. These wines are best enjoyed in their youth for their vibrancy and charm.
Marked by a late harvest, the 1993 vintage in Champagne produced wines with impressive acidity and structure. As these wines continue to mature, they reveal an appealing combination of elegance and depth, with a backbone of minerality that provides a lovely contrast to the ripe fruit flavours. For those with patience, these Champagnes will reward extended cellaring.
A cooler year for Champagne, the 1994 vintage produced wines with a lean, focused profile. While some may find these Champagnes somewhat austere in their youth, time in the cellar will allow them to develop more complex secondary characteristics, revealing an underlying finesse and elegance.
A standout vintage, the 1995 Champagnes are characterised by their remarkable balance and harmony. With an abundance of ripe fruit, these wines also possess a vibrant acidity that lends freshness and lift. Over time, they have developed an alluring complexity and depth, making them a true pleasure to drink.
Widely regarded as one of the finest vintages in recent memory, the 1996 Champagnes are defined by their incredible structure and ageing potential. The wines possess a powerful backbone of acidity, which has allowed them to develop a fascinating array of secondary flavours and textures while maintaining their inherent freshness. These Champagnes will continue to evolve and improve for years to come.
A challenging vintage for Champagne, the 1997 wines are marked by their soft, approachable character. Although they may lack the depth and structure of other vintages, they offer immediate pleasure with their forward fruit and gentle acidity. These wines are best enjoyed now, as they are unlikely to improve significantly with further ageing.
The 1998 vintage in Champagne is marked by its elegance and finesse. These wines possess a lovely balance of ripe fruit and fresh acidity, making them an absolute pleasure to drink. As they mature, they continue to reveal a delicate complexity and layered depth, making them a fine addition to any Champagne lover’s collection.
A warm and sunny vintage, the 1999 Champagnes are characterised by their richness and opulence. With generous fruit and a velvety texture, these wines offer immediate appeal. However, they also possess enough structure to age gracefully, developing more nuanced flavours and aromas over time.
The turn of the millennium brought a mixed vintage for Champagne, with some variability in quality across the region. Nevertheless, the best examples from this year exhibit an appealing balance of ripe fruit and bright acidity, with the potential for moderate ageing. Seek out wines from top producers to experience the best of what this vintage has to offer.
The 2001 vintage in Champagne proved to be challenging, marked by cool temperatures and heavy rainfall. While these conditions resulted in wines with pronounced acidity and a lighter body, they also offered a fresh and lively character. These Champagnes are best enjoyed in their youth, as they may not possess the depth and structure necessary for long-term ageing.
The 2002 vintage stands as one of the greats in Champagne’s recent history. A perfect growing season yielded wines with exceptional balance, structure, and aging potential. These wines boast a compelling combination of ripe fruit, vibrant acidity, and a backbone of minerality that will continue to evolve and develop over time. Patience will be rewarded with extraordinary complexity and depth.
An unusually hot and dry year in Champagne, the 2003 vintage resulted in wines with lower acidity and higher alcohol levels than usual. While these wines may not possess the structure and longevity of other vintages, they offer a unique richness and opulence. Enjoy these wines now for their forward fruit and generous character.
A classic vintage in Champagne, 2004 produced wines with a beautiful balance of fruit, acidity, and structure. These wines exhibit an elegance and finesse that make them an absolute pleasure to drink. With time in the cellar, they will continue to develop a nuanced complexity and layered depth, ensuring their place in any Champagne enthusiast’s collection.
The 2005 vintage in Champagne was marked by a warm, dry summer that resulted in a smaller crop of concentrated grapes. These conditions produced wines with ample fruit and a rich, round texture. While some may find these Champagnes somewhat atypical in style, they still offer a delicious drinking experience and the potential for moderate ageing.
A year of contrasts, the 2006 vintage in Champagne yielded wines that display both richness and freshness. With a generous fruit profile and a lively acidity, these wines are enjoyable now but also possess the structure necessary for further development in the cellar. Over time, they will reveal a captivating complexity and depth.
The 2007 vintage in Champagne was characterised by its cool temperatures and wet conditions, resulting in wines with high acidity and a lean, focused profile. While these Champagnes may lack the opulence of other vintages, they offer a refreshing and invigorating drinking experience. Enjoy these wines now for their zesty character and delicate fruit flavours.
A truly exceptional vintage, the 2008 Champagnes are characterised by their incredible structure, precision, and ageing potential. These wines possess a stunning balance of fruit, acidity, and minerality, making them a must-have for any serious Champagne collector. With patience, these wines will continue to evolve and develop, offering an unparalleled drinking experience.
A warm and sunny vintage, the 2009 Champagnes are characterised by their lush fruit and approachable character. While these wines may not have the longevity of other vintages, they offer a delightful immediacy and charm that make them a pleasure to drink. Enjoy these wines now for their generous fruit and velvety texture.
The 2010 vintage in Champagne was marked by a cool, wet growing season that resulted in wines with pronounced acidity and a lean, focused profile. While these wines may not possess the depth and structure of other vintages, they offer a refreshing and invigorating drinking experience. Enjoy these Champagnes now for their zesty character and delicate fruit flavours.
The 2011 vintage in Champagne was a challenging one, marked by a cool, damp growing season that produced wines with high acidity and a lighter body. The best examples from this vintage offer a fresh and lively character, making them a charming option for those who enjoy a more delicate style of Champagne. While these wines may not be suited for long-term ageing, they provide an enjoyable and refreshing drinking experience in their youth.
A standout vintage, the 2012 Champagnes are marked by their exceptional balance, structure, and concentration. With an abundance of ripe fruit and vibrant acidity, these wines offer both immediate appeal and the potential for extended aging. As they continue to develop in the cellar, they will reveal layers of complexity and depth, making them a highly sought-after vintage for Champagne aficionados.
The 2013 vintage in Champagne was characterised by a cool, damp growing season that resulted in wines with pronounced acidity and a lean, focused profile. While these Champagnes may not possess the depth and structure of other vintages, they offer a refreshing and invigorating drinking experience. Enjoy these wines now for their zesty character and delicate fruit flavours.
A classic vintage in Champagne, 2014 produced wines with a beautiful balance of fruit, acidity, and structure. These wines exhibit an elegance and finesse that make them an absolute pleasure to drink. With time in the cellar, they will continue to develop a nuanced complexity and layered depth, ensuring their place in any Champagne enthusiast’s collection.
A warm and sunny vintage, the 2015 Champagnes are characterised by their ripe fruit and generous character. While these wines may not have the longevity of other vintages, they offer a delightful immediacy and charm that make them a pleasure to drink. Enjoy these wines now for their lush fruit and approachable character.
The 2016 vintage in Champagne was marked by a cool, damp growing season that resulted in wines with pronounced acidity and a lean, focused profile. While these Champagnes may not possess the depth and structure of other vintages, they offer a refreshing and invigorating drinking experience. Enjoy these wines now for their zesty character and delicate fruit flavours.
A challenging year for Champagne, 2017 faced issues with frost, hail, and rain. Despite these obstacles, diligent producers managed to create wines with surprising depth and purity. While some of these Champagnes may offer enjoyable drinking, they are best consumed in their youth rather than cellared for the long term.
A warm and generous vintage, the 2018 Champagnes are characterised by their opulent fruit and approachable character. These wines offer a delightful drinking experience, with a rich, round texture that makes them particularly enjoyable in their youth. While they may not possess the structure for extended ageing, they provide a lovely snapshot of this bountiful year in Champagne.
The 2019 vintage in Champagne is marked by its elegance and finesse, thanks to a favourable growing season that resulted in a beautiful balance of fruit and acidity. As these wines continue to develop, they reveal a delicate complexity and layered depth that make them a fine addition to any Champagne lover’s collection.
A challenging vintage for Champagne, the 2020 growing season was marked by cool temperatures, rain, and disease pressure. Nevertheless, skilled producers crafted wines with a lively acidity and focused profile. While these wines may not be suited for long-term ageing, they offer a refreshing and invigorating drinking experience in their youth.
The 2021 vintage in Champagne was characterised by a cool, damp growing season that resulted in wines with pronounced acidity and a lean, focused profile. While these Champagnes may not possess the depth and structure of other vintages, they offer a refreshing and invigorating drinking experience. Enjoy these wines now for their zesty character and delicate fruit flavours.
The 2022 vintage in Champagne is shaping up to be a promising one, thanks to a relatively mild growing season and a well-timed harvest. Early indications suggest that these wines will possess a lovely balance between ripe fruit and vibrant acidity. As they mature, they have the potential to develop a delightful complexity and depth, making them a welcome addition to any Champagne enthusiast’s collection.
In conclusion, the vintages from 1990 to 2022 in Champagne showcase a wide range of styles and qualities, from the exceptional to the challenging. Each year tells a unique story of the region’s weather, terroir, and the producers’ ability to adapt and craft memorable wines. By understanding the characteristics of each vintage, Champagne lovers can make informed decisions about which wines to enjoy now and which to cellar for future enjoyment. As always, it is essential to remember that individual producers can make all the difference in challenging years, so seek out the best to fully appreciate the beauty and diversity that Champagne has to offer.
