Champagne Vintage

Question 1

Champagne: 1970

Answer 1

Finely structured, “classic.” Late flowering, but long summer.

Question 2

Champagne: 1971

Answer 2

Tumultuous weather, but veraison -> forward saw perfect weather. Big crop, very elegant.

Question 3

Champagne: 1973

Answer 3

Enormous crop; rain at harvest caused some rot. Variable.

Question 4

Champagne: 1975

Answer 4

September rain = late harvest. Classic vintage, high quality.

Question 5

Champagne: 1976

Answer 5

Hot year, early harvest. Soft and ripe.

Question 6

Champagne: 1978

Answer 6

Cool summer; wines are lean and high acid. Little vintage wine produced.

Question 7

Champagne: 1979

Answer 7

Cold spring, warm summer, late harvest. Balanced, ageworthy.

Question 8

Champagne: 1982

Answer 8

Excellent weather, large crop. Big, richly styled vintage.

Question 9

Champagne: 1983

Answer 9

Late flowering, otherwise sunny and warm. Solid, rather overshadowed by 1982.

Question 10

Champagne: 1985

Answer 10

First half of the season seemed like disaster; crop was down due to spring frost, and the weather was poor. Cleared up and turned around in August; wines are concentrated, stylish, and balanced.

Question 11

Champagne: 1986

Answer 11

Unpredictable and dramatic weather. Quality varies by producer.

Question 12

Champagne: 1988

Answer 12

Excellent quality, many vintage champagnes produced. Classic, high acid, austere.

Question 13

Champagne: 1989

Answer 13

Hot summer, rich, opulent wines.

Question 14

Champagne: 1990

Answer 14

Exceptional quality and quantity; ripe and concentrated. Overall top three out of 1988-1990.

Question 15

Champagne: 1995

Answer 15

Difficult vintage, large crop, great ripeness. Some are rich at the expense of finesse.

Question 16

Champagne: 1996

Answer 16

Very unusual vintage - extreme ripeness and extreme acdidity from millerandage + heat. Wide range in maturity.

Question 17

Champagne: 1997

Answer 17

Very cold at the outset; rainy in July, but with warm, sunny weather from then. Ripe and opulent champagnes, somewhat overshadowed by 1996.

Question 18

Champagne: 1998

Answer 18

Roller coaster weather; at the end, the result was heavy crop with high potential alcohol and solid acidity. Firm structure, though less acidic than 1995 and 1996.

Question 19

Champagne: 1999

Answer 19

Warm but rainy, some dilution at harvest. Wines are ripe, round, fruit forward, somewhat simple.

Question 20

Champagne: 2000

Answer 20

Fine spring into stormy July, including hail. Warmth through harvest saved the vintage. Rich and weighty vintage, somewhat lacking in precision.

Question 21

Champagne: 2001

Answer 21

Similar weather to 2000, including the hailstorms in July, but incessant rain at harvest destroyed the crop. The few vintage wines that were made are the result of impressive triage and are well balanced.

Question 22

Champagne: 2002

Answer 22

Exceptional vintage, rich and weighty but with clarity, finesse, and poise. Most akin to 1990.

Question 23

Champagne: 2003

Answer 23

Heatwave vintage. Crop was down due to April frost and severe hailstorms over the summer. Variable quality - either rich, weighty, and balanced, or roasted, dried out, and heavy.

Question 24

Champagne: 2004

Answer 24

Very large crop in rebound from 2003; quality exceptional across the board. Fresh and lively, well balanced if lighter on the feet than the rest of 2002-2006.

Question 25

Champagne: 2005

Answer 25

Warm, uneventful growing season. High degrees of ripeness and density - possibly becoming overripe?

Question 26

Champagne: 2006

Answer 26

Uneventful summer; heat wave in september slightly lowered acidity. Ripe and broad, but balanced and fresher than 2005.

Question 27

Champagne: 2007

Answer 27

Difficult season, culminating in warm weather in August. Early harvest. Great acidity and freshness.

Question 28

Champagne: 2008

Answer 28

Very difficult growing season (millerandage, coulure, oildium, mildew, hail), culminating in warm, sunny weather in September. Fruit is exceptional, high malic acid and high sugars. Taut and harmonious. The second great vintage of the 2000’s?

Question 29

Champagne: 2009

Answer 29

Fine summer, high quality grapes, particularly Pinot Noir. Plump and approachable.

Question 30

Champagne: 2010

Answer 30

Very dry until August, then torrential rains. Heavy disease pressure.

Question 31

Champagne: Top vintages overall

Answer 31

1971, 1975
1982, 1985, 1988-1990
1995, 1996
2002, 2008, 2012

Question 32

Champagne: Ripe, opulent vintages

Answer 32

1976,
1983, 1989
1997, 1999,
2003, 2005, 2006, 2009

Question 33

Champagne: Lean, structured vintages

Answer 33

1970, 1978, 1979
1988,
1995, 1998
2007