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1996 Champagne

When assessing the relative merits of great Champagne vintages, two recent pairings come to mind; 1988 and 1989 on the one hand and 1995 and 1996 on the other. It is a tale of two styles, one catholic and the other puritan, one pure and the other flamboyant. Yet, beyond such simple analysis there is purity in the flamboyance of 1995 and 1989 and no lack of joie de vivre in the wonderfully constructed 1988 and 1996.

1996 goes down in the record books for unparalleled levels of both sugar and acidity in the base wines; levels that would have been too sweet or too tart on their own, but when harmoniously balanced, providing the perfect foundations for superlative wines capable of lengthy ageing. Cool nights and warm days in September provided the key to greatness here.

The 1996 are only now starting to come round, their power and breeding harnessed with a linear grace, their elegance undisputed and evidenced in such contrasting styles as the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne and the Bollinger RD. A great vintage with the prospect of a fascinating and very successful evolution with these, its finest wines.




 
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Retail Prices - Duty & Local Tax Included More information
VINTAGE WINE BOTTLE SIZE PRICES LIST SETTINGS
White,  drink-or-keep
Champagne R&L Legras, Cuvée Exceptionelle, St. Vincent
France  »  Champagne  »  Brut
UK Customers Only
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 66.45
6 x £ 59.80
Special case price £ 358.80
Buy 6 and save £ 39.90 (10%)
Medium-Full Bodied, Brut, White, Champagne Blend, Ready, but will keep, 12% alc.

Aptly-named, L’Exceptionelle shows the heights to which Legras can ascend, helped no doubt by old Chardonnay vines and the outstanding 1996 vintage. Pears, lemon zest and white flowers greet the nose, then the palate assumes a richly honied texture, with a satisfying mineral ... MORE
White,  drink-or-keep
Jacquesson Champagne
France  »  Champagne  »  Brut
Limited Stock
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 75.00
Light Bodied, Dry, White, Champagne Blend, Ready, but will keep, Organic (Not certified/in conversion), 12% alc.

White,  drink-or-keep
Dom Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs
France  »  Champagne  »  Blanc de Blancs
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 100.15
12 x £ 90.10
Special case price £ 1081.20
Buy 12 and save £ 120.60 (10%)
Medium-Full Bodied, Brut, White, Chardonnay, Ready, but will keep, 12.5% alc.

Founded in 1729, Ruinart boasts the exalted title of the oldest House in Champagne. Taking its name from the founder’s uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart (a close friend of none other than Dom Pérignon himself), Ruinart certainly still lives up to its prestigious reputation.
Dom Ruinart ... MORE
White,  drink-or-keep
Bollinger R.D.
France  »  Champagne  »  Recently Disgorged
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 122.65
12 x £ 110.35
Special case price £ 1324.20
Buy 12 and save £ 147.60 (10%)
Full Bodied, Brut, White, Champagne Blend, Ready, but will keep, 12% alc.

Hailed as the best vintage since 1928, 1996 is ideally suited to the powerfully expressive style of RD. An attractive toasty nose, with notes of roasted nuts and summer fruit leads on to an explosion of flavour on the palate with the savoury and the sweet harmoniously harnessed followed by a ... MORE
White,  drink-or-keep
Champagne R&L Legras, Cuvée Exceptionelle, St. Vincent
France  »  Champagne  »  Brut
Limited Stock
Magnum
(150cl)
£ 127.75
6 x £ 114.95
Special case price £ 689.70
Buy 6 and save £ 76.80 (10%)
Medium-Full Bodied, Brut, White, Champagne Blend, Ready, but will keep, 12% alc.

Aptly-named, L’Exceptionelle shows the heights to which Legras can ascend, helped no doubt by old Chardonnay vines and the outstanding 1996 vintage. Pears, lemon zest and white flowers greet the nose, then the palate assumes a richly honied texture, with a satisfying mineral ... MORE
White,  drink-or-keep
Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame
France  »  Champagne  »  Brut
Limited Stock
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 130.00
Medium-Full Bodied, Brut, White, Champagne Blend, Ready, but will keep, 12.5% alc.

Six years on lees, the 1996 Grande Dame is grande indeed. Traditionally voluptuous, the style is perfectly suited to the vintage which provides an authoritative framework within which the wine can be gloriously expressive. The blend is 65/35 in favour of Pinot Noir, the grapes being sourced from ... MORE
White,  drink-or-keep
Billecart-Salmon Grande Cuvee
France  »  Champagne  »  Brut
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 132.85
12 x £ 119.55
Special case price £ 1434.60
Buy 12 and save £ 159.60 (10%)
Medium Bodied, Brut, White, Champagne Blend, Ready, but will keep, 12% alc.

Made from 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, this wine certainly lives up to its name. Aged for over six years and showing all the structure and power of this magnificent vintage, the wine marries notes of honey and spring flowers on the nose with hints of marmite; the palate is broad and rich, ... MORE
White,  drink-or-keep
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
France  »  Champagne  »  Brut
Limited Stock
Bottle
(70cl)
£ 143.05
Medium-Full Bodied, Brut, White, Chardonnay, Ready, but will keep, 12.5% alc.

One of the great all-Chardonnay Champagnes – its musculature expressing the power of the vintage, its elegant texture and sublime finish indicative of the quality of the fruit.
Rose,  drink-or-keep
Dom Ruinart Rosé
France  »  Champagne  »  Rosé
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 143.05
12 x £ 128.75
Special case price £ 1545.00
Buy 12 and save £ 171.60 (9.5%)
Medium-Full Bodied, Brut, Rose, Pinot Noir, Ready, but will keep, 12.5% alc.

Dom Ruinart vintage Rose is one of the most sophisticated roses in the market, a blend of Chardonnay, the signature grape of the house, with the inclusion of Pinot Noir, both from Grand Cru vineyards. The nose is bold with yeasty complexity, supple, round and harmonious palate, showing notes of ... MORE
White,  drink-or-keep
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
France  »  Champagne  »  Brut
Limited Stock
Bottle
(75cl)
£ 144.00
12 x £ 128.74
Special case price £ 1544.88
Buy 12 and save £ 183.12 (10.5%)
Medium-Full Bodied, Brut, White, Chardonnay, Ready, but will keep, 12% alc.

One of the great all-Chardonnay Champagnes – its musculature expressing the power of the vintage, its elegant texture and sublime finish indicative of the quality of the fruit.
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