Champagne is one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, with its namesake sparkling wines easily among the most sought after. It’s a fact that’s reflected in its price — on average, bottles of Champagne retail for around $62, roughly four times more than the average price of Prosecco. Unlike other fine-wine regions commanding high prices, though, the vast majority of Champagne consumed is non-vintage, meaning several years of stock are blended together to ensure consistency year-over-year.
Vintage Champagne (or millésimé), on the other hand, is only produced in years deemed exceptional by each individual maison. That’s exactly why you might see some producers release vintage-labeled Champagnes while others opt to add their wine from any given year into house reserves for future use. While individual years must be considered outstanding as a baseline for Champagne houses to pursue a single-vintage release, some years are known to outshine others.
That’s why we’ve taken a look back at the past century-plus of Champagne production to spotlight some of these truly spectacular years. From ones marked by challenging weather patterns that somehow still resulted in superb sparkling wines to those continuing to show impressive evolution, these are 10 of Champagne’s most legendary vintages.
1921
1921 was a banner year in Champagne and can easily be considered the year the region’s commercial fine-wine market was born. Despite the outcome, the year got off to a rather challenging start, with a cold winter leading into a very chilly spring. Severe frosts in mid-April damaged budding vines, which decreased potential yields, though remaining buds were blessed with a warm, dry summer, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. As a result, the fruit developed a stunning balance between sugar and acidity and produced some of the finest wines of the 21st century. One of the most famous is 1921 Dom Pérignon, the first vintage ever produced by the prestigious maison, though it wasn’t released until 1936. Other noteworthy bottlings from the year include those from Bollinger, Pol Roger, and Salon, a house that solely produces wine in select vintages. Since 1921, Salon has only released an additional 40 vintages.
1945
1945 was a special vintage for more than one reason. Not only are Champagnes from that year superb in quality, but it was the first vintage produced in the region following France’s liberation from the Nazis. But success didn’t come easily. A mildly temperate spring allowed for early ripening, though late-spring frosts destroyed approximately 75 percent of all buds in the towns of Ambonnay, Bouzy, and Trépail. The region’s worst-ever outbreak of the fungal disease Rotbrenner further decreased yields across the region. Despite the tumultuous growing season, that summer’s climate was almost perfectly tailored for exceptional ripening. It was warm and very dry, with only around 19 inches of rain, the lowest total Champagne had experienced since 1873. Conditions allowed for a relatively early harvest, with things kicking off on Sept. 8, four months to the day after the Germans unconditionally surrendered in Reims. 1945 Champagnes are characterized by their richness and elegance, with one of the most sought-after bottlings coming from Krug.
1955
While some years show early signs of an abundant vintage, others get off to a bit of a shakier start — as evidenced by 1921 and 1945. Then there are years like 1955 that defy all odds to cement themselves as one of the finest vintages of the 20th century. Buds didn’t arrive until April 25 that year, slightly later than usual, and over 500 hectares (approximately 1,235 acres) were destroyed in May during a late-spring frost. All signs pointed to a bad outcome, though yields were saved by near-perfect conditions that summer. There was an abundance of sunshine and ideal levels of rain, allowing for even ripening with no signs of coulure or millerandage. Once harvest time arrived on Sept. 28, not only were berries 30 percent larger than anticipated, but there was over 20 percent more fruit picked than experts expected. Today, 1955 is considered to be one of the greatest years in Champagne’s history, with wines produced then known for their aromatic complexity and firm acidity, the latter of which allows bottles to continue maturing for decades.
1959
Like 1955, 1959 was another year marked by a series of extreme weather events that should have decimated yields but instead resulted in one of the finest years in Champagne’s history. The budding season was challenging, with daytime temperatures in April and May fluctuating between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius and many nights turning frosty, preventing buds from forming. Once they did, late May and June were dominated by persistent hailstorms that significantly damaged vineyards in the Côte des Bar and the Marne. Once the storms passed, a warm, sunny summer allowed vines to thrive, resulting in a bumper crop by the time harvest arrived in September. Given the dry, sunny summer, grapes developed with a bit more sugar than usual, allowing for exceptional longevity in the cellar. Today, Champagnes produced in 1959 are characterized by their tertiary notes of honey, caramel, and toasted nuts.
1975
While 1975 might be considered a poor year in some regions of France, Champagne is a notable exception that saw several top producers elect to bottle 1975 vintages. A cold spring delayed the budding and flowering season, though it did nothing to decrease potential yields. The summer was long, hot, and dry, allowing buds to flourish into ideally ripened grapes. Refreshment arrived at the last minute thanks to an overcast September with plenty of rain. Given the slow start to the season, harvest didn’t get underway until October, though once it did, crops were abundant. Champagnes produced in 1975 are known for their laser-beam acidity that lends them the tremendous ability to evolve in-bottle for decades to come. Standout 1975 Champagnes include those from Dom Perignon, Louis Roederer Cristal, Krug, and Taittinger.
1988
1988, 1989, and 1990 are often considered three of the best successive vintages in Champagne history. Despite the fact that the lattermost year was originally considered the winner of the bunch, 1988, with its slow maturation, is now hailed by many critics to be the truly superior vintage. Unlike the aforementioned vintages — which were each characterized by mild (if not cold) springs — 1988’s spring was warm, allowing for early ripening followed by outstanding flowering in June, which was notably warmer than in years past. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Trouble arrived in July when heavy rain persisted for weeks, with conditions not improving until mid-to-late August. As such, yields were significantly lower than initially expected, with growers contending with rot and damaged grapes when harvest commenced in September. Even so, the ripened grapes demonstrated exceptional quality, with producers like Cristal, Bollinger, Krug, Salon, and more all choosing to move forward with a vintage release.
1996
Right off the bat, 1996 was considered by many wine critics to be the vintage of the century. While time has come to demonstrate that some bottlings show more inconsistency than in other years, the vintage still displays impressive finesse and longevity. That year, weather patterns were relatively inconsistent across the region, with stretches of warm, sunny weather followed by cool, windy spells. The variation allowed for grapes to ripen with immense concentration before harvest began on Sept. 14. The bumper crop was found to have a surprising balance between ripeness and acidity, giving rise to the term 10:10, which refers to grapes with 10 grams per liter of acidity and 10 percent potential alcohol. Given the balance between alcohol and acidity, several bottlings have continued to show incredible evolution, including those from Henriot Millésime, Cristal, and Krug, specifically the Clos d’Ambonnay.
2002
Following 2001’s disappointing vintage, Champagne bounced back in 2002 with what is considered by many to be the best year since 1996. Weather-wise, 2002 was a hallmark year, with a cold winter giving way to a mild spring that allowed for fast flowering in the vineyards. The summer was unusually warm and defined by regular intervals of sun, with minimal rain leading to robust ripeness and tight concentration of flavors. Cooler nights also aided the ripening process, imbuing grapes with vibrant acidity that perfectly complemented the expressive, ripe fruit. 2002 is considered by some to be a near-perfect vintage, with wines demonstrating refined structure and an ideal balance between freshness and richness. Notable bottlings produced that year include Salon, Dom Pérignon P2 Plénitude Brut, Piper-Heidsieck Rare, and Krug Clos du Mesnil.
2008
As the 2008 growing season approached, vintners’ expectations were anything but high. The winter was cold and very damp, two conditions that persisted for months, blanketing Champagne with an unusually rainy and chilly spring. The weather delayed the budding and flowering processes and increased the fear of disease, though hope returned later in the summer when bright and sunny, albeit still cooler, weather rolled in. Conditions allowed for slower ripening, letting grapes develop the ideal balance between sugar and acid once harvest arrived in mid-September. Despite initial fears, 2008 proved to be a magnificent year, with a bumper crop resulting in wines that demonstrate impressive longevity in the cellar and are expected to continue evolving for years to come. Given the quality of that year’s harvest, several of Champagne’s top houses moved forward with bottling a vintage, including Jacques Selosse, Cristal, Krug, Salon, and more.
2012
Right off the bat, 2012 was a difficult year in Champagne. The start of the budding season was marked by a number of challenges, including low February temperatures between -20 and -10 degrees Celsius (between -4 and 14 degrees Fahrenheit). Initially, March turned things around with milder temperatures that encouraged early budding, but a series of hailstorms and frost in April and May saw potential yields decrease significantly. Further impacting matters was the fact that the spring of 2012 was the wettest on record since 1994, resulting in a high number of mildew and powdery mildew outbreaks. Surviving buds struggled through a wet June and July, with only a select few developing viable fruit. Those that did were blessed with an August heatwave that highly concentrated sugars during sunny days while the still-cool nights worked to preserve the grapes’ acidity. Once harvest arrived in September, matured grapes possessed the ideal balance between acid and sugar, defying the odds laid out early that year. Today, 2012 Champagne continues to impress, with some already referring to it as the vintage of the century.
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