1996 Champagne: One of the Best Vintages of Our Time

99(+?) points. Light gold. Remarkably perfumed nose projects an exotic bouquet of deep, leesy yellow fruit, minerals, honeycomb, smoked meat and flowers, with Asian spices building expanding in the glass. Almost painfully... more

99(+?) points. Light gold. Remarkably perfumed nose projects an exotic bouquet of deep, leesy yellow fruit, minerals, honeycomb, smoked meat and flowers, with Asian spices building expanding in the glass. Almost painfully concentrated, offering a surreal parade of orchard and pit fruits, smoked meat, toasted brioche and marrow braced by intensely salty, stunningly incisive minerality. Imagine a Frankenstein's monster of Chablis Le Clos and Clos Ste. Hune-but one with perfect balance, of course-and you get an idea of what I found in my bottle. The energetic, stony character builds exponentially on the finish, which didn't seem to, well, finish. The best analogy I can come up with for the intensity, focus and clarity of this Champagne is liquefied barbed wire. Utterly hallucinatory and one of the most amazing wines I've ever been fortunate enough to drink. At the risk of sounding completely out of touch with reality, this is a value. (Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY)

95 points. Light gold. Dramatic aromas of ripe peach, pear, mango, musky yellow plum, fig, buttery brioche, toasted nuts and baking spices. Rich, deep and expansive on the palate, with powerful, deeply concentrated flavor... more

95 points. Light gold. Dramatic aromas of ripe peach, pear, mango, musky yellow plum, fig, buttery brioche, toasted nuts and baking spices. Rich, deep and expansive on the palate, with powerful, deeply concentrated flavors of yellow peach, tropical fruit, toasted nuts, sweet butter, toffee and marzipan utterly filling the mouth. An endless parade of toasty, decadent fresh and dried fruits defines the finish, with a gentle but insistent mineral undertone providing focus, freshness and lift. This is a must buy for Bollinger fans. (Paterno Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL)

96 points. Copper-tinged pale pink color, with a strong mousse. Powerful aromas of honey, wild strawberry, blood orange, brioche, cinnamon toast, candied ginger and subtle clove. Remarkably concentrated, dense rose with k... more

96 points. Copper-tinged pale pink color, with a strong mousse. Powerful aromas of honey, wild strawberry, blood orange, brioche, cinnamon toast, candied ginger and subtle clove. Remarkably concentrated, dense rose with kaleidoscopic fruit flavors ranging from citrus to orchard to tropical. Spicy, dense and very long, with deep smoky and cherry tones carrying through the supple, velvety but vibrant finish. As usual, a stunning wine of great depth and impeccable balance.

95 points. Green-tinged gold. Incredibly complex, intense bouquet of smoky, leesy orange, pear, licorice, minerals and bitter quinine. The superconcentrated citrus, quince and pear liqueur flavors convey an almost painful... more

95 points. Green-tinged gold. Incredibly complex, intense bouquet of smoky, leesy orange, pear, licorice, minerals and bitter quinine. The superconcentrated citrus, quince and pear liqueur flavors convey an almost painful impression of extract and positively explode across the palate. Elegant, poised and precise in a manner rare for a wine with such flavor intensity. The vibrant, minerally, extremely long finish simply doesn't let up. This should age effortlessly for a decade or two. (Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA)