Was 1976 a good year in Champagne?
Champagne 1976 scores 95 out of 100. Rich, vinous, powerful and soft. Acidity was low at 7.2 g/l and longevity was doubted at the time, but the wines have defied time.
A sunny, hot drought year with record European heat. Early flowering led to a very early harvest opening on 1 September, yielding a large 10,359 kg/ha of super-ripe fruit.
What drinkers rate it
92.0 out of 100 from 1 ratings, the most recent in 2019.
Should you buy the 1976?
The recorded drinking window closed in 2020. Bottles can still show well when they have been stored properly, but you are buying a mature wine and should treat provenance as the deciding factor rather than the price.
Whatever you pay, ask the seller when the bottle was last moved and how it has been kept. Storage history changes what a mature bottle is worth far more than a few pounds on the shelf price.